Legend of Korra Book Five: Life
by Rurrlock-God of Power
Summary: Two years have passed since Korra saved the world from Kuvira's army. Since then, she has continued protecting the world and helping it through a new age of change. However, despite things in her life being seemingly perfect, a new evil is about to awaken and drive the world to the brink. Korra and her friends must stop this new threat before all life is lost.
1. A New Threat

**Legend of Korra: Life**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender &amp; Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

**Note: **Two years have passed since the end of Book 4.

If you enjoyed this story and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A New Threat**

''_Earth…Fire…Air…and Water!'' A cold voice echoed in the darkness, as a scarred, bloody hand pressed against a wall. The hand slid across, coating the four symbols that represented the elements in blood. ''It is said that only the Avatar can master all four elements!''_

_Once the hand was moved away, the symbols began to glow in a blinding blood-red light. The hand, belonging to the individual hidden within the shadows, clenched tightly. ''Because of this, many assume the Avatar to be more than human. To be more than a spirit.'' _

_The wall cracked and broke apart around the symbols, causing the whole thing to crumble down into nothing but debris. The sounds of rubble falling silenced, and all that could be heard was deep, hoarse breathing, followed by the voice. ''But soon, everyone will know what real power is…and they will know that even the Avatar can die!''_

_Suddenly, everything was swept up in a flurry of raging fire, burning and consuming until the flames appeared to reach the heavens. _

''Korra! Korra, wake up!''

Asami's panicked voice was enough to snap Korra wide-awake. The Avatar bolted upwards until she was sitting upright on their double bed, breathing heavily and coated in sweat. One hand tentatively reached outwards to stroke the head of her concerned polar bear-dog, Naga, and the other pressed against her drenched forehead. ''I'm okay,'' She said to Asami, trying to sound reassuring, though that was difficult with the dry throat she now had. ''I'm fine, really.''

''It sounded like a bad one,'' Asami whispered and softly placed her hand over Korra's. She could feel her girlfriend burning up fiercely. Her fingers curled slightly, trying to hold her hand. ''I'm sorry, I should have woke you sooner, but I wasn't sure if I'd make things worse or…''

''Hey, it's fine.'' Korra cut in. ''Just a cold sweat and light head.''

''Still, I haven't seen you have a nightmare like that in years.'' The industrialist commented. She shuffled closer to Korra, but not too close so that she would have at least some space to breathe and calm herself down. ''Do you want to talk about it?''

For the first time, Korra's eyes drifted away from Asami, as she appeared deep in thought. ''To be honest, I can't even remember what happened. All I can remember was feeling like my skin was on fire, and I couldn't breathe.''

''Seems like your mind is still telling your body it was real. You're burning up rapidly. I should get you a glass of water.''

''That would be great, thank you.'' Korra smiled weakly, right now feeling too tired and drained to muster up any energy. She shifted back a bit so that she could lean against the soft pillow, with Asami helping her to adjust to the new position before hopping off the bed and heading into the other room.

While she was gone, Korra desperately tried to recall anything from her nightmare. Her mind was a blank, and anything she tried to remember resulted in a sharp pain coursing through her throbbing head. Sensing her distress, Naga nuzzled her furry head against Korra. ''Don't worry, girl. I'm used to this by now.''

She looked over her companion out towards the door that led to the balcony. Now feeling more lively and active, Korra got up from the bed, stroking Naga's head once more before walking on. She pulled back the see-through curtains and opened the latch. Instantly, a cool breeze brushed against her face as she stepped outside. It felt like sweet relief against her burning arms and face.

Folding her muscular arms and leaning against the metal railing of the balcony, she gazed out into the distance, watching the expanded sections of Republic City bustling with life and lights, glowing brightly under the night sky. A smile grew on her face, almost as bright as the light emitting from the third Spirit Portal at the centre of Old Republic City.

Gliding across the skies above where new spirits of all shapes and sizes. Since the portal had been _accidentally _created two years ago, the spiritual activity around the city had grown stronger and stronger, to the point where as many spirits occupied the city as did humans. They were now practically citizens.

Just when she felt like she was about to get lost in the scenery beyond her, Korra's attention was brought back as she felt a gentle hand rub her shoulder. Asami handed her a small glass of water. ''Thanks.''

''Do you want me to get you anything else?''

After taking a sip of water, cooling and relieving her dry throat, Korra turned to her girlfriend. ''No, I'm good now. I think it was the shock more than anything else. I still can't remember what happened. But it felt…different.''

Asami arched an eyebrow. ''Different as in the dream felt different from the others before, or different as in how you feel afterwards?''

''Kind of both.''

''Maybe it's something you can bring up to Tenzin when you see him tomorrow?''

''Maybe…'' Korra hesitated before continuing. ''But, I don't want to make tomorrow about me or…''

''Don't think like that,'' Asami cut in quickly. ''If something is bothering you, then I'm sure the others would like to know so that we can do whatever we can to help.''

Hearing her supportive words of encouragement, Korra grinned and sighed lightly before leaning her head on Asami's shoulder. ''Okay, I'll talk with Tenzin. It's probably nothing though.''

''Better to be safe than sorry.''

They both stared out towards the city, basking in the dazzling otherworldly beauty. The two remained still and silent for a short while until Korra lifted her head to plant a soft kiss on Asami's cheek. The cute gesture earned a smile from her. ''What was that for?''

''Just felt like it!'' Korra said before repeating the action. This time, earning a smile and a blush from her girlfriend. ''We should probably head back to bed.''

''Are you sure?''

''Yeah, I'm feeling good now,'' Korra assured her. Just talking with and being next to Asami was good enough for her. Her throbbing pain had evaporated, and her mind was now clear as if nothing happened. Though the lingering sense of worry did bubble a little inside of her. She knew Asami was right. If something was bothering it was best to bring it up with Tenzin. Being the Avatar, dreams can be unpredictable, but important. Wanting to put that aside or now, Korra wrapped her arms around Asami. ''Besides, we don't want to sleep in tomorrow.''

Sensing that Korra was feeling better, Asami held her hands against Korra's arms and returning a smile of her own. ''Technically, it is already tomorrow.''

''Oh yeah,'' She realised. ''In that case, I can now say happy birthday!''

''Thank you,'' Asami replied before pressing her lips against Korra's.

* * *

The next morning, serenity swept over Air Temple Island. Just what Tenzin wanted, as he sat and meditated under the gazebo. He kept a slow and steady breathing pattern, relaxing his body and surrendering to the tranquillity. However, the moment wasn't too last, as a very loud batch of flying lemurs swooped in, gliding just over his head.

Grunting in an annoyed fashion, Tenzin stood and called out. ''Meelo, how many times do I have to tell you? You can practice your flying-lemur show on the other side of the island!''

Hearing his father's disgruntled yell, Meelo coasted down so that he his own lemur, Poki, skimmed across the top of the gazebo. ''Sorry dad!'' He yelled apologetically.

Before Tenzin had time to comment further, Meelo and the other lemurs were already quite a distance away, soaring around the island. The Airbending master let out a heavy sigh and tried to return to his meditation. Settling down and crossing his legs, he shut his eyes and succumbed to the sounds of the quiet howl of the wind.

''Daddy!'' A young voice cried out messily.

Tenzin's eyes shot open and he bolted to his feet, practically creating a tornado in his wake as he saw his youngest son, Rohan, scampering towards him. ''What is it? What's wrong?'' He questioned with worry.

''I got a cut!'' Rohan whimpered and held out his hand. His father had to look very closely, squinting his eyes together and focusing until the small, paper-tin cut on the little boy's hand was visible. ''I was playing near a tree…and there was a flower…and it cut me!''

''Oh dear, let's get your mother to look at that for you,'' Tenzin said in a sympathetic tone. He tried not to sound too glad because with the way the tears flowed down the boy's face, and how far his screams must have carried over, Tenzin feared that something serious had happened. He picked Rohan up and carried him in his arms. ''Then I finally might be able to meditate in peace.'' He mumbled under his breath.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind nearly knocked Tenzin right off his feet and he jumped back in shock, as Ikki jumped down in front of hi with a huff. ''Dad! I need help finding Jinora!''

''It'll have to wait. I'm sure she's with Kai somewhere.''

''That doesn't help me in any way! She promised me that she would lend me one of her old dresses for Asami's party tonight, but of course, no Jinora equals no dress!''

Tenzin's frustration grew and grew, but he kept it bottled up inside, not wanting to rant on his own children despite his peaceful morning being interrupted. ''I will help you look for Jinora in a moment. She can't have gone far.''

Ikki was a fraction away from stomping her foot on the ground and groaning loud enough to scare away the birds. Instead, as her eyes drifted to the right, following the pathway off the island, a big smile formed on her face. ''Korra!'' She sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her, using the air around to help get to her dear friend quicker.

Korra smiled brightly as they shared a tight hug. This was just what the Avatar needed after a rough night. Pulling away, she couldn't help but gawk at Ikki, who was now almost as tall as her. It didn't help when she turned to Tenzin and saw Rohan, still sobbing and holding his sore thumb, growing bigger by the day.

Her old teacher offered a kind, welcoming smile. ''Korra, it's good to see you.''

''You too,'' She replied before passing a glance at Rohan. ''Hey, what's wrong?''

With teary eyes and a quivering bottom lip, Rohan held out his thumb, showing Korra the small cut he had acquired. To him, her smile was so kind and pleasant he couldn't help but follow her lead and smile back. Carefully, she rubbed a finger over his thumb and hoisted him out of Tenzin's arms and into her own. ''You're not going to let something like that upset a big, strong Airbender like you, right?''

Her words must have had an immediate effect because he was trying to calm himself and stop the sobbing. His eyes were still watery, but the tears no longer ran down his cheek. ''No…'' He replied softly.

Ikki nudged her little brother on the shoulder. ''That's our little tough guy.''

Korra placed Rohan down on the ground, as the boy took hold of Ikki's hand. She turned to them both. ''Can you give your daddy and me a moment, please? I need to talk to him about something.''

''What about?'' Rohan asked curiously.

Ikki, being older and more mature, knew when something serious was going on and when it was best to step aside. She pulled on her brother's arm, guiding him away from Tenzin and Korra. ''Come on, you can help me find Jinora.''

''He's quite the cute scamp, isn't he?'' Korra commented.

Tenzin nodded in agreement. ''An adventurous spirit and a tender heart.'' He looked at Korra sincerely. ''Now, you mentioned that you had something you wanted to discuss with me?''

Korra couldn't keep the smile on her face for very long as she remembered why she came here in the first place. ''It's probably nothing, but I had a nightmare last night. I don't know why, but it felt very different from the nightmares I've had before. Asami said it looked like a bad one before I woke up. So I came over to talk with you about it.''

''You can always talk to me, Korra.'' Tenzin comforted. ''Tell me, what was your nightmare about?''

''Well…I don't…really remember.''

''Oh…okay, can you remember anything that happened?''

''Not exactly.''

''How did you feel afterwards?''

''I don't know. The feeling left as soon as it came.''

Tenzin took a moment before continuing. ''That…doesn't quite give us a lot to go on.''

''I know,'' Korra stressed, disappointed with herself more than anything. ''It's like there's a mental block that stops me from remembering what happened. I think that's bothering me the most. Most nightmares I can remember, or at least feel familiar. This one though…''

''I'm sorry, I wish I could help,'' Tenzin said. ''Your dream could mean anything. If it does have a deeper meaning, then I'm sure it will come to you in time. That's probably not the answer you were hoping for…''

''No, it's okay. I know it was a long shot, but thanks for the talk and trying to help. Like you said, if there's more to it, then I'm pretty sure the answer will come.'' She gave Tenzin a hopeful smile.

Despite the pleasant look on the outside, there was a struggle going in her mind over the importance of this nightmare. If Tenzin was right about it coming to her in time if it really was important, then that meant she would have to go through it again. It was bad enough she was still plagued by the nightmares of Zaheer and the poison. Not only that, but it hurt her when she would see Asami suffering from her own nightmares, most often about her father.

She couldn't stand those nights when Asami tossed and turned in her sleep before waking up with tears in her eyes. All she could do when that happened was hold her hand and let her know that she was safe. It wasn't uncommon for them to comfort each other after a bad dream, but thankfully most nights went by without suffering through the memories of pain and loss.

Pushing those thoughts and worries aside, Korra looked out to the sea, more specifically the Avatar Aang statue outside of Republic City. It had seen some damage over the years, yet it kept coming back, much like the Avatar herself. Everything felt so peaceful for the first time in a long time, nightmares aside. Of course, an Avatar's work protecting the world is never over, and there were always new threats that she had to face.

She hoped that tonight things would go smoothly.

* * *

As the sun began to set over the horizon, causing a looming shadow cast by the magnificent Avatar Aang statue just outside of Republic City, the Sato mansion dazzled with lights under the dimly lit sky. Though the guests from all nations were only just arriving, sweet music already echoed throughout the many halls of Asami and Korra's home.

Outside the building, hundreds of people lined the streets to witness the glitz and glamour. News reporters struggled with each other in an attempt to reach the front lines.

Shiro Shinobi was one of them. ''I'm here at Sato Mansion, the residence of Future Industries CEO, Asami Sato and Avatar Korra! Ladies and gentleman, I am star struck by what I am seeing tonight. Anyone who is anybody has turned up to celebrate the 24th birthday of Miss Sato. Leading the celebration is Republic City's President Raiko, who will be looking forward to a different kind of celebration very soon, five years of presidency!''

President Raiko stood arm and arm with his wife and waved to the ground, posing for pictures while shaking the hands of other significant or important figures whenever he could.

Inside of the building, watching on with a disdained look was Korra. Her arms were folded over her chest, and she could barely hide the scowl etched onto her face. Her mood only lifted when she felt Asami's hand tenderly grab her arm. ''I hope you're not planning on glaring at him all night.''

''Sorry, he just infuriates me sometimes.'' She complained. ''I'm almost glad you didn't permit photographers in the mansion, so he can stay out there longer. It's bad enough he's turned what was supposed to be a party for you into a political congregation about him.''

Asami did her best to maintain a neutral look. ''I know. I wanted this to just be a quiet night with all our friends and family together…''

Despite her attempts at a calm her girlfriend, Korra persisted. ''Exactly! He can arrange his own party to gloat about himself. Not ruin yours.''

The birthday girl couldn't contain her laughter at seeing Korra's disgruntled pout. Their attention had been so focused on Raiko, that they nearly missed greeting the other guests who arrived in droves. Dusk turned to night faster than the flick of a flame, and a full moon shone high in the sky.

It illuminated out over the sea in the distance, also reflecting off the many ships that had docked. People from all over the world had come to pay their respects and well wishes. Though lovely gestures, Korra couldn't help but feel like all this hassle and coverage was unnecessary by Raiko.

To say that she and the president were not on the best terms since his election would be an understatement.

After a while, Raiko and his wife finally entered the doors of the mansion and came over to Asami and Korra. ''Thank you for having us tonight, Miss Sato.''

''Of course, President Raiko,'' Asami replied, while Korra merely nodded her head, and secretly bit her tongue to stop any comment from being said that she would regret later.

''Unfortunately, the Earth Prime Minister couldn't attend, but I hear that Fire Lord Izumi is in attendance,'' He then shot a glance towards Korra that was neither malicious nor friendly. ''I also hear that your father is here too. I would love a chance to meet him.''

''I know,'' Korra said stubbornly. ''He sent me a message saying he was coming. I'm sure you'd love to see him, you'll need all the support you can get for the upcoming election.''

Raiko remained silent for a moment, keeping his eyes fixed on Korra for a short while before he turned to Asami. ''Might it be okay if I were to talk with Korra alone for a moment?''

Asami looked puzzled at first, almost as much as Korra did. ''I don't see why not.''

Raiko turned to his wife. ''I'll be back in one second!'' He then held out his arm for Korra to latch on to, clearly showing that he did have something he wished to discuss with her alone.

Bewildered, but none the less curious, Korra gave Asami a quick kiss on the cheek before walking along with Raiko, her arm awkwardly hooked around his. Once they were out of sight from their respective partners, Korra whispered to Raiko. ''Okay, so what's the deal? You going to have us pose for tomorrow's front page paper.''

They stopped when they came to a marble pillar that stretched up towards the column of the second floor. ''I would have thought throwing a birthday celebration for your girlfriend would have been enough to help warm up to me.''

She huffed sharply. ''Except I know you're not making this about Asami, or even me. The reporters? The news? This is just a campaign for you.''

''Korra, to the public, everything I do is considered a campaign whether intentional or not!'' He said. A smartly dressed attendant carrying a tray of fine beverages stopped near them. Raiko gladly took a glass of red wine, while Korra shook her head. Once the attendant had left, and Raiko took a quick sip, he continued. ''If you believe that I'm not appreciative of all you've done for my city…heck, not just the city, the entire world, then you're mistaken. I may be president, but you are the Avatar.''

''Huh? Did you think that when you banished me before?'' She quipped.

''You're still not bitter about that, are you?''

''Not as much as I was then, but that's not the problem.''

Raiko's eyes narrowed. ''Then what is the problem?''

Korra threw back her own disapproving look at him, casually leaning against the pillar. ''It's about your campaign for re-election. There's quite a lot of problems I'm finding with your treatment towards the spirits in this city.''

''May I remind you that bringing the spirits back was your doing? As long as they prove harmless, I don't care what happens to them.''

''That's exactly the problem!'' She said firmly. ''Your plans for extensions towards the city aren't taking the considerations of the spirits. This is their city now just as much as anyone else's.''

Raiko's face remained blank and calm, though Korra could tell by the way his jaw was subtly clenching this was a subject he wasn't particularly fond of. ''Two years ago, when this city was under attack from Kuvira's army, where were the spirits? If this is their city now, why didn't they protect it?''

''Because they were affected as well! Kuvira's spirit weapon…''

''Is no longer an issue!'' He silenced her and took another sip of his beverage.

Her eyes flickered with anger beginning to burn inside of her, as she resisted the urge to bark in Raiko's face about her feelings towards this. But she didn't want to do that here, especially here and especially today of all days. ''That weapon was built once already. It could be built again. If the connection between humans and spirits doesn't grow stronger, something like what happened before, or something far worse could happen.''

He kept a stern look about him, fixing up his suit and finishing the last bit of wine in his glass. He stalled his response for a moment or two, perhaps because he didn't have one or he just wanted. At first, it seemed like Korra wouldn't be getting any kind of reply as Raiko turned away from her and strode away. ''I assure you, Avatar Korra. That as long as I'm President of Republic City, nothing on the scale of Kuvira's warpath will come to my people again.''

It was clear that he was not looking to continue the conversation. He already returned to his wife and was off to mingle with others at the party, no longer interested in Korra. ''I believe that when I see it.'' She mumbled under her breath. She suddenly felt a hand placed on her shoulder, and a familiar voice fell on her ears.

''Something tells me you got under his skin,'' Mako said with an amused tone.

''It's just like him to duck and run when he can't find an answer he likes.'' Korra mocked. She turned to her friend and sighed heavily. ''I'm just afraid that if things between humans and spirits don't change, something bad will happen.''

''Hey, as long as you're around, I'm confident things will go smoothly.''

She arched an eyebrow and gave Mako a loop-sided grin. ''Thanks, my confident confidant!'' Already she was feeling less stressed, just being in the presence of one of her closest friends. She hugged him gently, which he gladly returned. After parting, Korra glanced around them. ''So has Lin got you on duty?''

''Yeah, along with nearly every officer we could muster. With at least half the political leaders of the world all under one roof, you can't blame the extra security.''

''Definitely not. Though the media circus outside isn't helping.''

''I think I better get you back to Asami before you bite someone's head off.'' He said with a mixture of sarcasm, and genuine concern that Korra might do something after the frustration of talking with Raiko. In Mako's line of work, the last thing he should do is insult the President, so he had gotten used to holding his tongue and keeping his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Elsewhere, in another part of the eloquently decorated interior underneath a glowing chandelier with blue diamonds hanging down, the guests conversed was each other, oblivious of the fire ferret that dashed in between hundreds of legs. Pabu's cheeks were stuffed with delightful cuisine that he nicked while no one was looking. The mischievous fur-ball scurried up along the staircase, hoping to find a quiet area to relax and snack until a hand reached out and grabbed Pabu by the scruff of his neck and pulled him upwards.

''Pabu!'' Bolin grimaced. ''How many times do I have to tell you? If you want me to get you something, I'll pay for it! Now spit it out!''

Pabu's response was to cover his mouth with both his tiny paws and quickly chew whatever was left in his mouth.

''That's it, mister, you can forget about getting any birthday cake later on…unless _that _was the birthday cake, which I'm really hoping it wasn't!'' He stated, fearful of the Sato chef's wrath after what happened with the last birthday feast they prepared.

After swallowing the last bit of food, Pabu scampered out of Bolin's grasp, dropping to the floor and dashed off towards Opal as she walked over. He climbed up the Airbender and perched himself on her shoulder. Opal giggled and scratched under his chin. ''Uh oh, what did you do this time, Pabu?''

''Hopefully, he didn't strip the buffet table clean,'' Bolin said and glared in the direction of his companion. The fire ferret nestled comfortably against Opal's neck, the fur rubbing against her neck caused her to giggle. But Bolin tried to keep a stern face. ''Oh no, don't think acting all cute and cuddly will get you off the hook!''

''Being all cute and cuddly seems to work wonders for you.'' Opal grinned and placed a gentle kiss on his other cheek. He couldn't keep the tough act going for long. He sighed and relaxed, amusing Opal.

With his bright smile back on full display, he hugged her tightly and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. ''It's good to see you.''

''You too,'' Opal replied with her arms wrapped around him and an amused grin on her face. ''Though you did only just see me this morning.''

''I know,'' Bolin said softly. ''But that was only after just coming back from a whole month of being on-duty! And that was only after just coming back after three months on duty! Whenever I feel like I'm finally going to have some off-duty time, I'm back on duty!''

Opal took his hand, and cupped his cheek with her other, forcing him to look at her. ''It's okay. I get it. We both knew that taking this position meant you were going to be away for quite a bit.''

''Yeah, we knew that would happen,'' Bolin muttered exasperatedly. ''Don't get me wrong, working with the United Forces is awesome, and for the first time in my life, I really feel like I'm making a difference…not including the time I was working for Kuvira because that was a whole other thing that we don't need to be reminded of.''

''Oh yeah, that was a messy situation you got involved with,'' Opal added with a knowing smirk.

She expected some witty comeback or goofy joke that never failed to make her laugh; however, he continued with his thoughts over his United Force duties. ''But I'm constantly away to other parts of the world for a lot longer than what I originally thought. I don't get to see you as often! I don't get to see Mako or Korra or Asami as much! And my roommate constantly smells like feet no matter how many showers he takes, and he ends up making the showers smell like feet too.''

Usually the life of the party, always bringing happiness and positivity wherever he went, it wasn't easy for Opal to see Bolin clearly frustrated and feeling down. She leant forward and took a firm hold of his hands. ''You're feeling homesick. Trust me, I've had that a lot. I barely get to visit Zaofu and see my family. If you're feeling like this, I'm always here to talk.''

Hearing her supportive and considering words were enough to lift Bolin's mood instantly. Though in actuality, just being with her was enough to lift his mood instantly. He smiled genuinely at her. ''Thanks, Opal.''

''Why don't we take a page out of Korra and Asami's book and go on a vacation soon? I'm sure you can book holiday time away. You can't be on duty all the time!''

''Really? That would be great!'' Bolin shouted excitedly. Immediately afterwards, a bulb clicked on in his brain. ''Oh, speaking of Asami, check out the present I got for her!'' He quickly reached into his pocket, fidgeting around for a good few seconds before he was finally able to retrieve what he was looking for. He pulled it out and held it close to Opal's face frantically, scaring Pabu off her shoulder and causing the fire ferret to dash off elsewhere.

She backtracked a step, not only because of Bolin's over eagerness he nearly smacked the item against her face accidentally but also because the present itself baffled her. ''Uh…it's a tiny you,'' She commented awkwardly, unable to take her eyes away from the miniature figure of Bolin, posing heroically while wearing an exaggerated Water Tribe uniform. ''An almost shirtless, tiny you.''

''Better! It's the Varrick Industries' latest Nuktuk figures!'' He asserted. ''Asami says she loves the Nuktuk movers and is even helping finance the latest adventure, '_Nuktuk, The First Bender in Space!' _Varrick said that the early merchandise would help boost ticket sales.''

Opal, still bewildered by the toy in front of her, pointed at it. ''Why is the stomach that long? You don't have that many ab muscles!''

''Oh, they say it looks more dynamic and exciting. You'd be surprised how differently one looks from reality compared to screen.''

''You're my boyfriend, I think I'd be able to tell the difference.'' She was about to comment further on the small figure, which she silently admitted, was starting to freak her out a little when a firm hand patted Bolin on the back.

''I hope that whatever's in your hand has an explanation for it…existing,'' Mako said, half teasing and half being serious. He looked almost as worried as Opal did about the item, while Korra kept silent and only offered a wide grin to Bolin.

''Ha-ha, be smug all you want. But when these Nuktuk figures start selling like cabbages and we're out of stock, don't come crying to me for one.''

''I'll try to keep my emotions in check when that happens,'' Mako said with a deadpan tone to his little brother.

Just then, Asami called out happily as she approached the group. ''Hey, you all made it!''

Korra draped an arm around her shoulders and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. ''I tried to find you after my talk with Raiko.''

''I know, sorry, I got caught up talking with others. It's a little overwhelming when everyone's asking for a conversation.'' Asami sighed.

Picking up on this, Bolin immediately began to feel hesitant. ''Oh, well…yeah, that's understandable. Don't want to put you under too much, so that's fine.''

Asami glanced at him, giving a tender smile and waving her hand at him. ''Bolin, you can tell me whatever you want, I'm not under too much with any of you.''

Filled with relief and renewed excitement. ''Okay Asami, pull up a chair and sit down because I want to see you jump up with exhilaration when you see…''

Before he could reveal his surprise to her, another familiar face shot into view. Sliding across the floor and flinging an arm around Bolin's next and pulling him in close, catching the Earthbender completely off-guard. ''Well, if it isn't my favourite group of people in the world!'' Varrick shouted with glee.

The surprise entrance of the energetic businessman along with his business and romantic partner, Zhu-Li, took everyone by surprise. While Varrick was running at hundred miles an hour on the inside, Zhu-Li kept a proper posture. ''Good evening, and happy birthday to you Asami.'' She greeted calmly.

''Thank you.''

Bolin could finally breath when Varrick loosened his grasp on his buddy. ''Yeah, when Zhu-Li and I finally took a look at our calendars and realised that our favourite business partner's birthday was coming up, we knew we wouldn't want to miss this for the world.''

''Uh…thanks,'' Asami said, internally wincing. Though over the years her relationship with Varrick had improved, that didn't mean he was on her list of favourite people after their rocky start. He was a brilliant mind who, without the equally brilliant but more rational Zhu-Li, would trail all over the place before coming back to the matter at hand.

Finally, Bolin escaped Varrick's grip. ''So when did you two sail into town?''

''About a week ago,'' Zhu-Li answered. ''We've been in the process of developing a new idea for Varrick Moon Industries. I would tell you, but Varrick has been dying to do it himself.''

''Oh, come on Zhu-Li, if you want to be the one to tell Asami of our new venture, be my guest. I'm in no rush to tell her, in your own time.'' He spoke plainly and without any hint of the eccentricity that oozed from his very being.

''I…''

She barely got a word out before Varrick exploded passionately. ''Okay, you've pulled my leg, I'll tell them!''

''If that's what you want,'' Zhu-Li stated with a sarcastic, but slightly amused tone.

Team Avatar was practically swept off their feet, as Varrick stretched out around them in an attempt to huddle them all closer. Korra grunted uncomfortably. ''You must be working on something big to be this…eager!''

''What Zhu-Li and I have been working on could revolutionise and change the world,'' He said. He then threw a look towards Mako, who was about to speak before being interrupted by the businessman. ''And don't worry, it's not doomsday-ish.''

''So what is it?'' Opal asked curiously. They were all curious as to what Varrick was getting that, they wanted to know so, not to mention that been clung this close together was starting to hurt a little.

Quickly, Varrick pulled them along until they were in the centre of the room and looking out towards the open doorway leading outside. ''Tell me, what do you all see around those news reporters?''

Each of them took a moment to look outside, trying to find anything out of the ordinary.

''Uh…reporters?''

''Guests still arriving late?''

''Pabu wrestling with some birds over food outside?''

''Cameras?''

At the last guess, Varrick raised his arms in the air. ''Yes, cameras, but not the ones I'm thinking about!''

Now the group was free from Varrick's over-eager death grip, rubbing their sore spots but still clueless as to what they were trying to learn from Varrick. Noticing that they weren't getting it, Zhu-Li stepped forward. ''Varrick and I have been looking at a new way to create movers…live as they happen.''

The revelation from her was all that was needed for Team Avatar's curiosity to turn into undivided attention. Asami stepped forward, her mind already puzzled with dozens of questions and theories. ''Film events as they happen? That's impossible. No one has ever attempted something like that.''

Bolin raised his hands. ''Wait a minute? I'm confused here.''

Asami turned to her friend animatedly. ''For example, your Nuktuk movers are filmed first and then edited later to be altered to fit a narrative story. Live film will broadcast movers as real events as they happen at the time…or possibly a few seconds after depending on how good the frequency can be picked up.''

It took a second for all this to register in Korra's head. Her knowledge of the latest technology was only mediocre at best, and that mediocrity was only because of what Asami had taught her since they'd known each other. ''So…it's radio news broadcasts…''

''With the added benefit of mover pictures!'' Asami finished, a beaming smile spreading across her face. The businesswoman turned to Varrick and Zhu-Li. ''What you're suggested sounds impossible for at least another decade or so!''

''That would have been true,'' Varrick replied. ''But Zhu-Li and I found a breakthrough.''

''That's incredible!'' Asami said with an elated tone, nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. She was able to stop herself from doing just that. Standing up straight and keeping a graceful pose, she took a step back to take a hold of Korra's hand. ''We'll discuss all of this tomorrow. For tonight, I'd like to have a peaceful and relaxing time.''

''Say no more,'' Varrick said. ''I know all about relaxing!''

Mako arched an eyebrow. ''You do?''

This was a bad move on his part because Varrick rushed over to him and wrapped his arm around the officer. ''Kid, let the man who once knew a guy who knew the best masseuse in the world give you some relaxing tips.''

''You don't have to.'' Mako sighed.

There was no getting out of it, and Bolin was dragged along as well as Varrick pulled in the younger brother. ''By the way, just to let you know, the latest Nuktuk is going through some re-writes and you need to learn the new script.''

''Again? We've re-written the script five times now!''

''Kid, there's one thing you should know about every good story-teller…we're never happy with our work!''

* * *

''It's beautiful, isn't it?'' Korra murmured as she looked out towards the city as she and Asami stood on one of the balconies. The spirit portal glowed brightly against the night sky, making the stars above sparkle.

''I guess,'' Asami replied. Korra turned to find that Asami wasn't staring at the city like she was, but instead glancing over towards the Avatar. ''I'm too busy staring at something even more beautiful.''

Korra turned away shyly, her cheeks flashing red like fire. Her hand subconsciously started tugging at her braided hair, as her heart fluttered at the compliment. The most powerful being in the world…becoming a bashful mess because of a cute, cheesy line from her girlfriend, it was quite the sight.

Asami's hand reached over to stroke Korra's hair and sparks flew when she brushed against Korra's hand. ''I do admit, I miss the short hair you had. But the braided look is lovely.''

The only response Korra could muster was a shrug of her shoulders. She'd let her hair grow back since she last cut it, despite Asami's constant praise and kind words regarding it. It was a tough decision to make, but Korra felt it was important to let her hair grow back, and Asami understood it was important and supported her through it.

Eventually, Korra could muster a coherent response. ''I know you really want to talk about the invention-thing Varrick and Zhu-Li are working on, you can't keep complimenting me all night.''

''Yes, I could,'' Asami responded confidently. But now that she heard the words from Korra, the temptation to discuss the live mover broadcast further was too much for Asami to resist. ''It's just unbelievable. Think of what could be accomplished! Instead of always relying on the words of a reporter on the radio, people can actually see events across the world transpire, right before their eyes.''

Seeing her this giddy and enthusiastic over something made Korra happy. ''Things change so quickly. About five years ago, movers didn't even exist altogether.''

The last thing Korra expected was for Asami to fall silent, especially since they only just started talking about this subject. The businesswoman sighed heavily, feeling a huge weight settle on her shoulders. ''Sometimes I'm afraid the world is changing so quickly I'm playing keep-up.''

''Are you kidding? It's because of you and your company that this world is being kept up…with…I mean we're keeping up with the world…'' Korra stuttered. ''Wait, I know how to phrase this…''

Asami tilted her head and smiled affectionately. ''It's fine, thank you. Just the insecurity one feels when the whole world is literally a blueprint in their hand.''

Korra's expression shifted into a sympathetic one, and she placed her hand over Asami's. ''I don't mind holding that hand with the blueprint in it. If that's okay with you.''

She turned and smiled warmly. ''That's more than okay.''

Feeling that the mood had been lifted, Korra continued to hold Asami's hand and moved back a bit towards the party going on further inside. ''Want to head to the dance floor?''

''Yeah, that sounds great.''

Before they walked back inside, Korra halted her. ''Hold on!'' She flicked her hand towards a tall tree that stood beside the balcony, and in a quick gust of wind, a pretty flower was blown off the branches and drifted towards Asami.

She eagerly caught it and was now the one who was blushing bright red. ''Aren't you the charmer?'' She teased.

Korra shrugged and smiled cockily. ''Yeah, I can be pretty awesome sometimes.''

''I'd say all the time.''

Not expecting the comment, Korra found herself blushing lighter than Asami was a moment ago. ''Hey, no fair, I was the one being smooth and…''

Suddenly, an ear-piercing sound ripped through Korra's eardrums, causing her to scream out in agonising pain. She dropped to her knees and covered her ears, trying to null out the sounds, but this proved ineffective. Asami, who seemed to be unaffected by whatever the sound was, leant down to hold Korra and called out to her. However, the noise was so loud and deafening to the Avatar, she couldn't hear a single sound that her girlfriend was making.

''I can't hear you!'' She screamed back at Asami. Her skin crawled and her insides felt like they were going to be ripped apart. There was nothing she could do but try to get through it and hope that the sound would stop soon.

Eventually, the sound was gone as soon as it came. Korra's whole body shook and was coated in sweat. She breathed heavily and felt too weak to stand on her own, needing assistance from a worried Asami. ''What happened?'' She asked with great concern.

''Didn't you hear that?'' Korra shrieked.

''Hear? No, there I didn't hear anything. You just screamed and…'' She stopped mid-sentence when something out in the distance drew their attention.

The Spirit Portal.

The pillar of light that stretched high into the sky churned with different colours. Blue, golden and green lights tore through it as if the portal was being ripped open from the inside. Korra and Asami watched on with awe and fright, unsure of what to do. Korra was still bewildered by the loud sound which caused her great pain a second ago, she wasn't ready for what was happening right now.

''Do you know what's going on?'' Asami asked.

''No!'' Korra shook her head.

''I'll warn the others,'' Asami said and was about to dash back inside to tell everyone inside, probably all still unaware of the light show going on outside, when she felt Korra's hand grab her arm.

''Look!''

Asami did as instructed and looked at the spirit portal…that's when she saw it. Someone was walking out of the portal.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them._


	2. A New Threat Part II

**Legend of Korra: Life**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender &amp; Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

If you enjoyed this story and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

* * *

**Chapter 2: A New Threat Part II**

Korra and Asami looked out towards the spirit portal with a shared sense of concern. The Avatar was unsure of what to make of this situation. A silhouetted figure flickered within the light of the towering spiritual gateway, shifting from side to side as if the person was walking towards them. Shadowy streams flowed from around the figure, and a strange hissing sound screeched every time that happened.

The anxious feeling Korra experienced from her mysterious nightmare last night returned. She clenched her fist tightly, and flames sparked in between her knuckles, prepared for whatever was about to happen. ''I've got a bad feeling about this.'' She murmured.

''What do you want to do?'' Asami asked.

Korra took a moment to consider the best possible course of action to take. Having been caught off guard by this unusual scenario of a figure actually appearing from within the Republic City spirit portal, she only had time for one option. ''You warn everyone inside while I'll see what this is about. It's better to be safe than sorry.''

''Okay, but I'll be back with Lin and the others as soon as I can.'' She said with grit and determination, turning quickly to rush inside of the mansion. Before that, she paused for a split second and looked at Korra with worry. ''Be careful.''

''I'll try my best.'' She promised…though knowing her luck, she feared that she couldn't afford to be careful at this time. Just as Asami dashed back inside, Korra hopped onto the balcony frame, and using the wind to guide her, sprang up into the air and glided off into the distance.

* * *

Lin Beifong watched the party proceed on with folded arms and a stern expression. Resting against a doorframe, she vigilantly made sure that every guard and officer was on duty and working hard to make sure this place was protected. Though that was a difficult thing to manage with a party of this, as it was easy for someone to stuff their face at the buffet table or have five or six too many drinks and end up becoming unfit to work.

''Good evening, Lin.'' Tenzin greeted her as he walked by. ''Do you mind if I borrow a moment of your time?''

''You'd actually be doing me a favour! Just because I'm on duty doesn't mean I'm not bored out of my mind.''

An amused smile tugged at Tenzin's lips. ''I take it you're not finding this party to your liking?''

''You know I'm not a party person. The only enjoyment I'll get out of this night will be if we get through it without any hassle.'' She straightened her posture and turned her full attention to her old friend. ''So spill, what's on your mind?''

''I was just wondering if Opal mentioned anything about Jinora the last time you talked with her?''

She arched an eyebrow after hearing his inquiry. ''No, she didn't. Why would she?''

''It's just that Pema and I haven't seen her since last night, and I figured since she and Opal were good friends she might know of her location.''

''Sorry, I don't know where Jinora would be. And I doubt Opal would know either. If she thought that your daughter was in trouble, she would have told Su or me.''

Tenzin breathed heavily and slowly walked on, giving space for Lin to follow beside him. It's not like her to miss an occasion like this, especially since she's talked about wanting to attend Asami's birthday for a while.'' Though he tried his best, a hint of anxiety plagued his words the longer he spoke.

Wanting to ease his worry, Lin shrugged her shoulders. ''She's a teenager!''

''I am fully aware of her age.''

''You know what I mean! Trust me, I've dealt with a lot of them in my times…''

Tenzin glared at her. ''I hope you're not comparing my daughter to one of those ruffians you have to deal with while on police work!''

''Of course not! If you'd let me finish what I was going to say instead of butting in, I'll explain,'' She said firmly, silencing the grouchy Airbending master. ''Jinora's going to be independent. She's going to go off and do things without telling you. And from what I've heard, it's not the first time she's done something like this.''

''Yes, but like I said, she wanted to come here tonight.''

''There's a thing called changing your mind. She's probably off with her boyfriend somewhere.''

''That's what I think too.'' Tenzin's mind drifted away for a moment, dozens of possibilities floated through him on the whereabouts of his daughter. While he would be concerned if any of his children were nowhere to be seen, at least with Meelo and Ikki, they had a history of going about on their own respective adventures without consulting their father. While Rohan was terrified of his own shadow, let alone the prospect of wandering off alone. Jinora, on the other hand, wouldn't just take off without a word when giving a promise of attendance. This troubled the old Air Nomad greatly as the night passed on.

The chief of police coughed to get Tenzin's attention, halting him in his tracks. ''Look, I'll tell you what. If Jinora doesn't show up by tomorrow, then I'll have some people help look for her. Nothing too extreme if the situation doesn't call for it.''

Tenzin looked at Lin softly and thankfully. ''That would be very generous of you, Lin.''

Before Lin could respond, whether genuine or sarcastic, Asami came rushing over to her and Tenzin. It didn't take a detective to notice that something was amiss as the woman ran towards them. ''What's wrong?'' Lin asked immediately.

''Something's happening with the Spirit Portal! Korra went to investigate.''

''What?'' Tenzin gasped.

* * *

Korra felt a sharp chill crawl along her skin, making her feel cold, something that didn't usually happen to her. She slowly treads closer towards the Portal, skidding down the vine-covered crater. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She feared that if she took her eyes off the shadowy figure in the portal for even a second, something terrible would happen. Thankfully, due to the re-development, the surrounding area was vacant of any civilians. The buildings nearby were still only half-built, with empty cranes and construction vehicles supplied by Future Industries dotted around.

The cautious Avatar kept her distance, waiting for something to happen. It was bad enough she was this close to something that she couldn't comprehend, also with no backup to assist her. The portal pulsed at a quicker pace, resembling a visible heartbeat. ''Okay,'' Korra whispered to herself. ''I'd really love to know what I'm dealing with.''

''You need to run!'' A timid voice called out.

Korra turned to find a small spirit shivering and stumbling its way towards her. It was, in fact, the leafy green spirit that had lead the Avatar into finding Toph in the swamp years ago. Korra knelt down to come eye-level with the terrified spirit. ''Do you know what's happening?''

''Something bad is coming! Someone bad! You need to leave…''

Suddenly, a violent tremble ripped through the ground. Korra became unbalanced, and the spirit would have fallen face first into the ground if the Avatar had not held out a protective arm to catch the little one. The vines rotted and cracked apart, sending fractured debris into the air, scattering and breaking into dust. The portal's pulse rapidly grew and grew, until it no longer became a sequence of beats and instead one long, continuous boom that shook the earth.

The figure inside remained still at first. Then the shadow grew steadily, to the point it blanketed the portal into pitch-blackness. Korra held her arms around the spirit to protect it from the noise and shaking, which were clearly causing it distress. ''Do you know who is coming?''

''He…he…'' The spirit stuttered, as if too afraid to even talk about the individual. ''He wants you!''

''Why? Does he want to hurt me?''

''He wants to destroy you.''

Korra's heart froze, as did the activity that went on around them. The quakes stilled, and the booming noise coming from the portal turned silent. However, Korra let out a tense breath when she saw the shadow that surrounded the portal begin to shrink and evaporate…and the figure finally emerged from the portal. It was too dark for her to see clearly, but she could make out that the stranger was at least seven feet tall, and shrouded in a dark, navy blue cloak that masked his identity. ''Are there any more spirits around here?'' She asked urgently.

The tiny spirit looked up at Korra shakily. ''I think so…''

''Then get as many out of here as you can. I don't want anyone in the way if things go wrong.'' She rose to her feet and took a few steps forward to confront the figure.

''What are you going to do?'' The spirit called out.

''Hopefully just have a talk,'' Korra mumbled. ''But just in case that doesn't work, make sure that no one else is in harm's way. Now go!''

There was no need to repeat herself, as the spirit was already running the other way before disappearing into nothingness and away from the potential conflict. Korra breathed heavily through her nose and examined the figure. Everything became unnaturally quiet as he shifted closer to her. She considered the option of running the other direction, but if this figure was really coming to destroy her, then he would give chance and all Korra would accomplish would be putting others in harm's way.

''Avatar?'' He spoke with a clear, deep voice that made her blood run cold. ''Hmm, and I believed you would be difficult to track down.'' He scoffed arrogantly.

Korra tensed but didn't back down. ''And why did you track me down?'' She couldn't see the expression on his face, hidden in shadow because of his hood, but the faint laugh he emitted gave her a good indication of where things were going. ''I'm giving you a warning. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of!''

''Or what?''

She narrowed her eyes and took a strong stance. ''The last time someone emerged from a portal and wanted to destroy me, it didn't end well for them!''

''Are threats all you can offer?'' He muttered with dark charm and casualness slithering from his tone. He took one step forward.

Korra took a step back. ''So, have you come to destroy me?'' She questioned. Her foe didn't answer, angering her further. ''Why?''

''Why not?''

''That's not the answer I'm looking for!''

''What is the answer you are looking for?''

''The one where you start making sense and explaining why you've come here to destroy me?''

The figure lowered his head and threw himself into another fit of deranged laughter. ''What makes you think I would tell you the reason for why I must destroy you?''

''I like to know who my enemy is!''

''Well, I prefer to be kept in the shadows.''

''Really? I couldn't tell while you were hiding under that shadowy cloak!'' She shouted back sarcastically. ''And what was with the light show around the portal? Was that just a scare tactic?''

''Oh no,'' He responded amusingly. ''If I wanted to really scare you, I would do _this!_'' His arms swiftly emerged from underneath his cloak, revealing them whilst still keeping the rest of his being hidden, however, it was the sight of his arms that made Korra gasp in shock. Instead of human skin or an astral body, the figure's arms were made entirely out of ice, sculpted to be humanoid but covered in jagged edges. He crushed his hands into the ground, which froze over faster than Korra could blink. She was lucky to react in time and avoid the sheet of ice that spread far and wide by leaping forward. The icy frost was so cold, that it caused Goosebumps to form over her brown skin. She looked back to see the ice still encompassing the ground. Her attentions were turned back to her opponent, who stared back at her. ''Are you scared now, Avatar?''

Still taken back by this surprising move, Korra stuttered to find a response. ''You're…you're a bender?''

''In a manner of speaking.''

The rage she felt at him for always dodging her questions was overwhelmed by the sudden panic of seeing him shroud a good thousand yards in a blanket of ice. His frozen limbs were huge, practically as large as his own body. It was inhuman that he didn't topple under the weight. This person was going to cause a real threat, and he was proud to demonstrate that power to her. The thought of this individual using his bending abilities on someone she loved sent her protective instincts into overdrive. She stood tall with clenched fists and sparks flickering from between her knuckles. ''I'm giving you one final chance! Back down now, or I'll force you to stop!''

Overcome with adrenaline, strong winds gushed from Korra. The air currents howled and thrashed around the area, threatening to blow away anything or anyone in range. However, the figure didn't budge, as his cloak flapped in the wind, but didn't blow away nor reveal his still hidden face. ''You still think _you're_ the most powerful being? That you can tell me what to do?''

''Who are you?'' Korra yelled.

''I don't like to reveal too much. But nothing would bring me greater pleasure than watching your life slip away and hear my name in your last, dying breath. So I'll at least give you that. My name…is Shǔ!''

Korra held her ground as Shǔ came charging at her with blinding speed. The Avatar remained patient, not wanting to throw herself into the confrontation and get caught off-guard. Small blades of fire pieced out of the cracks of her hand, ready to defend herself for whatever this new foe was going to throw at her.

Before he got too close, Shǔ leapt high into the air, reaching incredible levels before striking his frozen arms forward, and shoot a huge jet of thundering water towards her. Korra acted quickly and used the wind to jump out of the way of the water blast, which instantly froze upon contact with the ground. She rolled along the ground and whipped her leg around, sending a lash of fire in his direction.

Shǔ dived back down into the ground, dodging the fiery attack. His fall left a big impact on the ground, but he appeared unfazed and attacked Korra once more. He jabbed his arms quickly, blasting sharp, icy daggers at her. Korra's body movement was precise and smooth, evading every dagger that headed her way. However, the Waterbender was managing to push her back.

As he kept firing more frozen torpedoes, he stomped his foot into the ground, causing pillars of ice to jut up one after the other in her direction. Needing to push back, Korra jumped into the air and spun her body with her arms outstretched. A wall of solid rock burst from underneath the ice and crashed through all the icy pillars. Still hanging in the air, Korra ignited jets of flames from the palms of her hands and soared towards Shǔ.

It took him a moment to find her gliding in the air in his direction, but once Shǔ spotted her, he waved his arms with the fluidity of a master artist, and the ice upon the ground turned to liquid and a torrent of water was thrown at Korra. She saw the attack coming but didn't have much time to react. She stopped the fire in her hands and tried to blow a gust of wind from her feet to leap over the current, but it was too late.

Korra was hit hard, and thrown to the ground under the heavy weight of the watery projectile. Her body felt woozy and shaken from the impact, however, she was running on adrenaline and didn't pause for a second. A shadow formed over her, and Korra looked up to see Shǔ directly above her. His arm resembled a large blade ready to end this fight.

He stabbed at her, luckily, Korra manoeuvred out of the way only by a few inches as his sharp, frozen arm plummeted into the ground. Korra hissed in pain, feeling a stinging cut across her waist. She couldn't afford to waste this opportunity though, and quickly grabbed his arm with her own, holding him down. Shǔ tried to pull himself out of her grasp, but her strength held him in place for now. He struck his knee at her from close range, which she blocked with her other arm.

Now that she had him right where she needed him, she leant back and pressed both her feet against his body. She heard him gasp for breath for a quick moment, realising he had been caught out. He could only watch as flames emerged from beneath her feet, feeling the surging heat before he was knocked by with incredible force by the Avatar's fire bending.

Shǔ bounced and skidded along the ground, gradually forcing himself back onto his feet. Meanwhile, Korra hopped back up and stared down her wounded opponent. ''You can stop this fight before I really have to hurt you!''

There was a moment of silence. Korra wasn't sure whether she had seriously hurt him, or if he was just faking it to lure her in, so she waited. It was only when he stood tall with his back straightened and facing away from her that she realised his hood has fallen. The distance didn't help matters, but she could make out that Shǔ back head was thick with dark grey hair. He folded the hood back over his head before turning to face her once more, his identity once again hidden from her sight. His clothing was partially charred and faltering from the last attack, but if his tone was anything to go by, he didn't want to quit. ''Is that all you've got?''

Korra gritted her teeth, her breathing grew heavier and her attacks didn't seem to be having any effect. There was the option of going into the Avatar State, though she didn't want to use her trump card just yet, not until she had some solid answers from him. ''What could you possibly gain from destroying me?''

''You really think I would tell you? You are a slow learner!'' He mocked.

''Yeah, I've been told that before.'' Korra shot back. ''But no one goes after the Avatar just for kicks like you do, so I want to know what your plan behind all this is!''

Shǔ was still and unresponsive this time. Korra thought that maybe this meant he was finally going to give her some useful information. The hooded Waterbender raised his arms in a defensive stance. ''You have no idea what's coming, do you?''

''Maybe I would have a better idea if you'd start making more sense!'' She shouted at him irritably.

Shǔ lowered his arms and leant down before becoming still, like a predator ready to hunt its prey. ''Do you think that being the Avatar makes you the most powerful? You couldn't even begin to comprehend what lies beyond.''

''Beyond what?'' She asked inquisitively.

As soon her question was asked, Shǔ sprinted towards her. Korra readied herself for another brawl and considered bringing out the Avatar State while she had the chance. Then she felt something, a feeling of familiarity rush over her, and just as soon as she worked out what it was, Shǔ was astounded to see the ground melt away and explode into a river of lava.

He halted before he got too close, unsure of what to make of this surprising move. Upon coming to a stop, a cord of metal wrapped around his arm and pulled his limb, leaving him off balance and unaware of the second metal cord that entangled his other arm. He struggled to break free, while the river of lava expanded and circled around him.

Korra turned and couldn't be happier to see Lin and the Republic City Police Force arriving on the scene to help out, along with Bolin who focused on lava bending to keep Shǔ in place. The two Metalbenders who fired their weapons upon Shǔ did their best to keep hold of him.

However, the moment of triumph was short-lived. Shǔ laughed confidently flexed his arms, causing ice to ensnare the metal cords and flow along the cables towards the Metalbenders. It hit them before they realised what was happening, as the ice not only reached the equipment attached to their arms but also quickly enveloped their hands with ice. Their arms turned numb and they cried with pain as the extreme coldness swept over them.

Thinking quickly, Lin took out two small knives from one of her pockets and aimed them both at each icy cable, cutting them both and separating Shǔ's connection to the officers. With everyone momentarily distracted, Shǔ used what remained of the ice that hadn't been thawed by the lava yet to create a tsunami of water and used it to escape around Korra.

Lin noticed the route Shǔ was taken and leapt into action. ''Oh no you don't!'' She cried out and used a metal cable to hoist herself into the air after the Waterbender. She swung around and tried to kick at Shǔ whilst in the air, however, he created a slide of ice along the construction crane next to them, and avoided her interception, skating down and away from her. Lin made one last-ditch move to catch him. After settling on the side of the building she swung on, she turned and fired her other metal cord at him. But Shǔ spun around and grabbed the metal cord, freezing it instantly and causing the ice to shoot up the cable like with the Metalbenders a moment ago. Not falling for the same trick again, Lin quickly disassembled the gear on her hand, breaking it into pieces and cutting her connection from him.

This did nothing to slow down Shǔ, who continued to make a pathway of ice to skim across, gliding down the city streets towards the Republic City Bay. He was making his retreat knowing that he was now outnumbered. Korra couldn't afford to let him get away, not when there was still so much more she needed to know. It was all or nothing now…she went into the Avatar State.

A hurricane of wind ascended upon her, lifting her into the air as a golden and white aura surrounded her body. Everyone was nearly blown back off their feet as Korra rocketed after Shǔ. Bolin did his best to help by creating a wall in the middle of the street in front of Shǔ. The hooded Waterbender created a rising hill of ice and flew over the wall. ''Are you serious?'' Bolin cried out in frustration.

This did give Korra an extra few seconds, as the empowered Avatar slowly caught up with the escapee. Shǔ did his best to slide and skate through the city as fast as possible, leaving pillars and jagged cliffs of ice behind him to block her path, but Korra easily smashed through everything he threw at her. Nothing was going to stop her, so all Shǔ could hope for was that he reached the ocean before she caught up.

He finally had the ocean in his sights, just a few hundred yards in front of him, and blocked off by a few more police vehicles and officers, including Mako. He and the others on the street watched on with awe and uncertainty as the saw Korra and the assailant Asami had warned everyone about heading towards them. Mako noticed that the individual was a Waterbender, and he didn't need to be a detective to know what he was after. ''Don't let him reach the water!'' He called out to the other officers.

Each of them unleashed a wave of metal, earth and fire in the hopes of stopping him in his tracks. But Shǔ dodged each and everyone with ease, at this point, it seemed as if he was showing in a vain attempt to cover for his running away. Even Mako threw a blast of fire towards the Waterbender. Shǔ made it over the flames and made a descending dive for the ocean bay. Mako quickly turned and tried to use his other arm, his right one, to throw another wave of fire to stop him. Suddenly, an intense rush of pain surged through his arm, causing him to buckle and for his arm to go numb.

Shǔ dove into the water.

Korra darted over the officers along the bay and dropped down under the sea current, the water flowed around her like it was now a part of her. Even under the cover of night, she could see clearly within the seawater…and Shǔ was already long gone. There was barely a trace of where he had swum. There was no point in continuing the chase now.

However, Korra thought that the least she could do was track him down to find where he was going. She burst through the surface of the water and landed back on solid ground. Placing her hand on the ground, she tried to sense any kind of energy that Shǔ would have left…but there was nothing. Yet again, there was no trace of his whereabouts. It was like he was disconnected from the Earth, leaving her unable to sense him.

Korra's body relaxed and the energy she had released slipped away. The glow around her body slowly disappeared. Her breathing was ragged, and her body felt tense and sore. A group of officers rushed to her side. ''I'm fine. Was anyone else hurt?''

''No,'' An officer replied. ''It seemed that all this person cared about was escaping as quickly as possible.''

Korra smiled weakly. ''At least that's one bit of good news,'' She turned her gaze towards Mako, who was walking towards her while holding his arm. ''Are _you_ okay?''

''Is it _that_ arm again?'' She gestured towards his scarred hand, shaking despite his best efforts to hide it.

''Yeah, but don't worry, it was just a slip-up.'' He tried to assure her, though she wasn't fully convinced. Wanting to change the subject, Mako looked out towards the sea. ''So he got away?''

''Yeah. This guy is really skilled to be able to reach such a distance before I could catch up with him.''

''Who was he?'' Mako asked.

Her eyes wandered for a bit as if searching for some kind of answer that would help shed a light on this situation. ''To be honest…I don't know.''

* * *

''This is an outrage!'' President Raiko yelled at the top of his voice and slammed a fist on the table. ''How could someone this dangerous have emerged from the portal so close to a gathering of at least half the world leaders under one roof unnoticed? Why didn't the spirits warn us?''

Korra leant forward, unable to contain her animosity at Raiko's tone. ''They did warn me! They told me about someone coming to destroy me, but I stayed to make sure I held him back while Asami warned everyone else.''

''Korra, please,'' Tenzin called out in an attempt to calm her down. Though she was willing to argue with Raiko all night if she had too, she couldn't utter a harsh word towards her old mentor, and instead decided to pout and slouch back on her seat.

Sitting around the large table within one of Raiko's offices were a number of the world leaders who had attended Asami's party, including Korra's father Tonraq, Firelord Izumi, and a representative from the Earth State. Lin, Mako and a few other officers stood guard further away from the leaders and their heated debate, listening in but also keeping a watchful eye on the windows and doors in case of another surprise visit.

Raiko rubbed his chin tensely and sighed. ''I'm just concerned that a Waterbender, with the amount of skill and power described by Avatar Korra, was able to freely walk out of the spirit portal and nearly freeze the city.''

Tenzin nodded. ''I do agree. Whoever this Shǔ is cannot be underestimated. He may have retreated for now, but that doesn't mean he may not strike again. Precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of civilians to Republic City, and other cities and states close by.''

The Earth State representative spoke up next. ''I've already forwarded on a message to Prime Minister Takahata. He will send word out across the Earth State about Shǔ.''

''I've also notified my people in the Southern Water Tribe,'' Tonraq said. ''As well as sent word to Eska and Desna in the North.''

Izumi cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. ''We should also think about spreading news to any independent states. Shǔ may want to hide somewhere secluded and out of our reach. And the fact we don't even have a face to place with his name doesn't help matters.'' She exhaled heavily through her nose and then offered a sympathetic look towards Korra. ''Though it pains me to say it seems you're the one he's after.''

''Seems that way,'' Korra mumbled with a defeated tone.

''Was there anything else he said?'' Tonraq inquired.

''Nothing that made sense out of context. He just kept rambling on about how he was going to destroy me, and that I wasn't the most powerful being anymore. Do you think he might be Red Lotus? Or something else?''

''Hmm,'' Tenzin hummed hopelessly. ''Unfortunately, until we know more about him, all we can do at the moment is guess and theorise, and that won't get us far.''

Before any of the other leaders could say their piece, Mako stepped forward. ''Excuse me, sir's, ma'am's…ma'am and's…misses…no…'' He stumbled over and over trying to address the ladies of power correctly. Before long, Lin nudged him in the back with her elbow, causing him to grunt and stop mid-sentence. Korra had to hide an amused grin behind her hand. Eventually, Mako got out what he needed to say. ''It might be a long shot, but we could start with a search within the North and South Water Tribes.''

''Why?'' Izumi asked interestedly.

''Shǔ emerged from a spirit portal, and the only other two spirit portals in the world are in the North and South, lands where the vast majority are Waterbenders. We could investigate there and hopefully find something. A relative or friend that may know something.''

''You're right, it's a long shot,'' Raiko said. ''Not to mention it's out of your jurisdiction to have an investigation outside of Republic City.''

''But it is a start,'' Tonraq stated. ''I will send another message to the North, and I'll return to the South to investigate and the moment I find something I will let you know. Thank you for the idea, Mako.'' Tonraq said to him.

''Uh, you're welcome…sir,'' Mako replied back awkwardly.

''It's settled then,'' Raiko declared. ''Hopefully, we'll be able to apprehend this attacker as soon as possible.''

Everyone nodded in agreement. While Korra didn't agree with Raiko all the time, this was one of those occasions where they were on the same page with what had to be done. Her hand slowly moved to rub over the new cut across her waist. Thankfully she had a medical team check it beforehand, and nothing appeared to be damaged, though that didn't mean the harsh pain wasn't present.

Firelord Izumi rose from her seat. ''I will return to the Fire Nation and help mount a search there. If there are any troubles that arrive on Republic City's shores, General Iroh will arrive as soon as possible.''

* * *

Korra stared at the carpeted floor with her chin resting against her entwined knuckles, fiddling her fingers nervously and unable to relax on the comfortable davenport. After the council talk, she needed a moment to be with her friends and clear her head. Despite Bolin's position in the United Nations Forces, and Asami being the head of Future Industries, they were barred from the meeting, much to Korra's dissatisfaction.

She bit her lip, threatening to throw herself into some kind of verbal outburst, but kept herself in check as Asami sat next to her, holding her hand and resting her head against Korra's shoulder. The soothing sound and feel of her girlfriend's soft breath were enough to calm the fuming Avatar. Next to them, Mako conversed with Bolin over what had happened and what the world leaders talked about.

''Is that really the best idea? Splitting up?'' Bolin questioned. ''I mean wouldn't it be better if we all stuck together and watched each other's backs?''

''I think Izumi's thinking about keeping the other Nations in check and making sure we're covering as much ground as possible. If this guy attacks again, and all the world leaders are caught in the crossfire at the same time, it would end badly for us.''

''Pretty grim when you put it like that.'' Bolin expressed.

''It's the truth! We have two officers in infirmary with a severe case of frostbite because of Shǔ. They'll be okay, but if Lin hadn't reacted as quickly as she did…'' Mako paused, finding it difficult to utter out loud the possible outcome. Subtly, he grasped his scarred arm, holding it close to his body.

Finally, Korra looked up when her father walked into the room. She lifted herself off from the settee and walked towards him, a look of worry plastered over both their faces. They hugged tightly. ''Please be safe,'' Korra whispered to him.

Tonraq smiled as they separated and he placed a supportive hand on his daughter's shoulder. ''I should be the one saying that to you since you're the one…'' The words seemed to clench in his throat, as his look of worry returned. ''You're the one this madman is after! I know you're the Avatar and you are fully capable of protecting yourself…but, as a father, I do still worry…''

''It's okay.'' Korra smiled at him. ''Tell mum I said hi!''

''Of course,'' He said. His gaze then shifted over towards Asami. ''Take care of my little girl.''

''I will.'' She said determinedly. A second later, her face relaxed and a shy smile took form. ''And…tell Senna I said hi too?''

Tonraq nodded gratefully at Asami, before giving Korra one last look that meant only one obvious thing…stay safe. He patted her shoulder, his fingers lingering protectively for a few extra seconds before taking his leave. Once the doors had closed, Korra let out a quiet sigh and her heart grew heavy. Things were eased for her when she felt Asami's hand collect her own and hold it tenderly in support.

Mako rubbed the back of his neck. ''I just hope my theory is right.''

Korra turned to face the detective. ''You really think he could have used the other spirit portals to get to Republic City?''

''He must have. He can't be a spirit because of the way he could bend water, the only other ways into the Spirit World are the two portals in the North and South Pole.''

''I'm sorry,'' Bolin interrupted. ''I still think splitting up is a bad idea. It leaves the world leaders all open for an attack.''

''But I'm the one he's after,'' Korra said. ''That was about the only thing he confirmed for me. Things would be so much easier if I just got a look at his face.''

''You did the best you could,'' Asami said to her.

The industrialist remained uncharacteristically quiet until now, and Korra knew that this meant something was on Asami's mind and troubling her. ''What are you thinking?''

''There's something about his escape that bothers me. Why didn't he use the spirit portal to escape? Why did he go through all that effort to reach the ocean when he had an easier way out?''

''That...'' Mako started, but stopped mid-sentence, allowing the question to rattle in his brain and give him time to ponder. ''That is a good question.''

Asami continued. ''The only reason he would do something like that was if he had no reason to return to the spirit world and remain here, in the physical world.''

''But he does have a reason, to come after me!'' Korra stated. However, now that Asami had brought up this valid point, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something else at play here. Shǔ didn't give her a lot to go on and kept things pretty secretive from her. That little detail gave her something else to go on. ''He's after me, that much is certain. But...what if he's also after something else? Something he can only find in the physical world?''

''Like the world leaders?'' Bolin suggested.

''No, if he wanted to go after them he would have at least tried,'' Asami answered.

Korra's eyes shot open and she smacked her forehead. ''Ah, why didn't I do this earlier?''

''Do what?'' Her girlfriend asked.

''Well, if Shǔ is in the physical world, then I can just meditate into the spirit world and find answers there. We won't have to wait for any word back from the Water Tribes.''

''Are you sure that would work?'' Mako inquired.

''Maybe,'' The Avatar said unconvincingly with a shrug of her shoulders. ''One spirit I knew seemed to have a good idea of who he was. I could find someone who might have answers about who Shǔ is and what else he could be after.''

Korra didn't give much time for the others to respond or even convince her of another strategy before settling on the floor and folding her legs to assume a meditation position. Bolin kneeled down until he was eye level with her. ''Hold on, let's back up for a moment. Say Shǔ, conveniently, find a nice secluded and relaxing spot somewhere and decides this would be a nice time to meditate into the Spirit World, and you two face each other, what then?''

There was a moment of hesitation from Korra. Bolin wasn't wrong about there being the possibility of Shǔ entering the spirit world once again to find her. However, if he really was after something else, then Korra had to take that chance and use up the little time they might have to find any answers. ''I'll be fine,'' She assured him, as well as Asami and Mako. ''If he's going to meditate into the Spirit World, then his bending won't work either. I'm sure I can handle him if it comes to that.''

''We'll watch over you in case something happens,'' Asami said and placed a tender hand on Korra's shoulder, who gratefully accepted it and grasped back with her own hand, holding on for a little longer. If things went smoothly for once, Korra could just go in and hopefully get answers from the first spirit she comes across. But with Team Avatar, things never run smoothly.

''Uh...guys?'' Mako said in a bemused tone.

Before Korra could ask what was wrong, she noticed that they had someone new with them in the room. Standing in front of Korra was the small, green leaf spirit that had warned her about Shǔ before, appearing out of nowhere. ''You?''

''Hi Avatar.'' The spirit greeted kindly.

''Aww, he's so adorable!'' Bolin gushed.

''Thank you.'' The spirit said to Bolin before turning its attention back towards Korra. ''I've come to give me a message.''

''A message? Does it have something to do with Shǔ?''

Its little body waddled and head gazed around the room. ''Hmm, kind of.'' The spirit muttered, avoiding the question. ''It's more to do with Jinora...

''Jinora?'' Team Avatar gasped simultaneously, causing the spirit to jump back a bit with shock. ''Is she okay? We haven't seen her all night!'' Korra said frantically.

''Oh, that's because she's on a special mission somewhere else. She would have liked to talk with you herself, but she couldn't, so she sent me instead.''

Korra didn't know what to find more disbelieving, the spirit's casualness over this whole thing when only a few hours ago it was scared to death, or that Jinora was off somewhere without telling anyway. ''Special mission? What does that mean?''

''That's the message she wanted me to leave. She says that bad things are going to happen, and the Spirit World is where it seems to be coming from. And if it isn't stopped soon, both worlds could be in great danger. So she went off to find answers that will help you since she's not so sure herself.''

''Well...is she in the spirit world now? I can meet her there and...''

''No!'' The spirit shouted back. ''That was another thing Jinora wanted me to tell you. You cannot go into the spirit world!''

''What? Why not? If she's alone or in danger then I have to help.''

''She's not alone, she's with her boyfriend.''

Bolin leant forward. ''Kai is with her too?''

The spirit nodded. ''She's fine at the moment. It's you who would be in danger if you went into the Spirit World. There's more to Shǔ then just wanting to destroy you, and Jinora is going to find out what, and she'll return home when she can. Tell her family that she misses them, but she'll be back before they miss her, and...'' The spirit stopped and looked away, deep in thought and chewing on the tip of its little stubby hand. ''Oh yeah, she also wanted to wish Asami a happy birthday, and she's sorry she couldn't come to the party.''

''No, wait,'' Korra pleased, but it was too late as the spirit was already starting to fade away before her eyes.

''I'll tell Jinora you got her message. Remember, don't go into the Spirit World, no matter what.'' Its words faded into a quiet echo and left Team Avatar alone once again, now more puzzled than ever.

''Well, that just happened,'' Bolin mumbled. ''What do we do now?''

''I don't know what we can do!'' Mako replied. ''We have no idea where Jinora and Kai could be, or how they plan to find out more about Shǔ.''

Korra's sight remained transfixed on where the spirit stood. ''Why would she go off on her own?''

Picking up on Korra's dejected tone, Asami leant down and held her comfortingly. ''We'll find her. And don't worry, Jinora and Kai are incredible Airbenders, they'll look out for each other.''

For the first time, Asami's helpful and comforting words were having no effect on Korra. She was too caught up in all this madness with a new foe, a new threat and Jinora possibly in grave danger, despite what the little spirit had told her. She was like family to her, she needed to know if she was alright, and she couldn't just rely on a messenger to keep her updated. Then it occurred to her, why would Jinora need a messenger? She's shown that she could use her astral projection to contact with Korra from practically anywhere in either the Spirit of Physical world, what was keeping her from coming to see them.

It didn't take long for a theory to come to her, and it was one that she dreaded above all others, one that made her racing heart stop. ''Oh no.''

''What?'' Asami asked, quickly noticing the fear plastered on Korra's face.

''We think that Shǔ might be after something else other than me? What if that something was a someone?''

Now, the fear had transferred to the others once they picked up on what she was suggested. ''You don't mean...'' Bolin started.

''Shǔ is going after Jinora!''

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

_If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them._


	3. The Search Begins

**Legend of Korra: Life**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender &amp; Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

If you enjoyed this story and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Search Begins**

Tenzin breathed silently with relief the moment his trusty air-bison landed safely on the ground of Air Temple Island. It had been quite the white-knuckle night, and he was thankful to be back home with his family and see the morning sunrise over the horizon, causing the waves to shimmer. Once Oogi was settled, Ikki and Meelo leapt off and onto the ground, followed by Rohan, who was more tentative.

Too wrapped up in his own thoughts, Tenzin remained seated. Just when the world seemed to be finding stable peace and balance, a new force was out for Korra's blood, and this deeply distressed the wise old master. He felt guilty just for leaving Korra back in Republic City to return home with his family, but he knew that she would be safe with her friends, and it wasn't like she couldn't defend herself alone. But a part of him still worried.

Pema noticed the stillness in her husband as she sat behind him, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, getting his attention. ''She'll be fine.''

''How did you know I was thinking about…''

''I can tell when you're worried,'' She noted with a teasing smirk. Her smile didn't leave, but her expression was more serious as she continued. ''And I understand you would be worried. We all are.''

''It's just…'' He hesitated. ''The last time someone with a vendetta against Korra went after her…it nearly destroyed her. I don't want to see her ever go through that again.'' His hand reached to touch Pema's shakily.

Suddenly, Meelo stepped forward with a confident swagger. ''Dad, you worry too much. Korra is the Avatar. No one in the world can beat her!''

''Are you sure?'' Rohan questioned curiously.

''Absolutely, little brother! In fact, if that coward didn't run for the hills, I could have taken him myself.''

Ikki didn't know whether to scoff cynically or laugh ironically, so ended up doing a mixture of both, earning a scowl in her direction from Meelo. ''Yeah, right. What makes you think you could have done something?''

''Hey, that creep interrupted Asami's party, and I was planning to present the world's most awesome flying lemur show ever staged!''

Whilst the siblings continued to bicker amongst themselves, Tenzin still couldn't shake away the feeling that something was amiss. Ever since Korra chased off Shǔ, it was as if a dark force was clutching at his very soul. He theorised that something spiritual was in place, and all he needed to do was make a connection to find out what, however, the fear of what he might find plagued his thoughts.

Before long, a familiar voice called out. ''So, I'm guessing from that glum expression of yours, the party wasn't too exciting,'' Bumi shouted. He walked towards the family with hands folded behind his head and a carefree expression that contrasted completely from Tenzin's. ''Although knowing you and parties, it probably was a good one but you just weren't in the mood.''

Despite being frustrated with his brother's rudeness and lack of understanding towards the situation, he felt relieved to hear Bumi's voice.

''Haven't you heard the news?'' Pema called back.

''I haven't had the radio on all night.'' He replied as he scooped up little Rohan in his arms. The boy excited to see his favourite uncle. ''I've been catching up with some old United Forces buddies of mine who visited from the party. Why? What happened?''

''Korra was attacked by some crazy water bender who froze the whole city!'' Meelo yelled dramatically.

Tenzin followed. ''Not the whole city, thankfully. But it was serious.''

''Whoa,'' Bumi gasped. ''Is Korra alright?''

''Yes, thank goodness.'' Finally, Tenzin slide off of Oogi, quickly helping Pema afterwards. ''There hasn't been any trouble here, has there?''

''No…well…'' Bumi sighed with a guilt-ridden expression. ''Some of the guys may have had a few too many drinks. So if you see any broken furniture, misplaced Air-Nomad artefacts, or stolen cabbage waggons…''

''I meant any trouble relating to the Water Bender!'' Tenzin said, rubbing his temple. Beside him, Pema tried her best to suppress a giggle.

''Oh, no. I manned the fort and kept it safe and sound for you.'' Bumi stated proudly.

''Then at least one thing went well tonight. Is Jinora inside?''

Bumi's eyebrows knotted together and he stared at Tenzin and Pema. ''Didn't she go to the party with you?''

The worried expression returned in full-force, both with Tenzin and Pema. ''N-No. We haven't seen her.''

''Neither have I, nor anyone else on the Island. Also, Kai has been missing in action too.''

Everything went cold as the realisation of their situation dawned on them. A thousand possible scenarios played in each of their heads in a matter of seconds. ''We have to find them!'' Pema said worriedly. ''Those two can't be out on their own with this attacker on the loose.''

''I agree,'' Tenzin said firmly.

Meelo raised his hands to get everyone's attention. ''Okay, let's all think of the positives, everyone!''

''What positives?'' Ikki questioned.

''It's not like the attacker is going after Jinora and Kai. So what are the chances of him finding them?''

At that moment, a White Lotus guard burst from out of the island home, rushing as quickly as possible towards Tenzin and the others. ''Master Tenzin, you have an urgent call from Avatar Korra!''

* * *

''No…'' Tenzin gasped and the colour drained from his face after hearing Korra's story through the radio transmitter. Ikki's protective arms wrapped tighter around her shocked mother, while Meelo stood beside a teary Rohan. The Air-bending family felt helpless after hearing what Korra had to say; it was the equivalent of having their hearts ripped out of them. ''Are you sure about this, Korra?''

_''I'm not certain,''_ The Avatar's voice was doubtful but nonetheless serious. _''But it seems too much of a coincidence for Jinora to be looking for Sh__ǔ__'s weakness, and have him not go after her.''_

''But why would Jinora not tell anyone about this? She's not the type to go off on her own…''

Meelo glared at Ikki. ''Unlike others.'' This earned him a hard thud in the side from his aggravated sister.

_''That's what I thought. But it's happened, and we have to do what we can for now.''_

Tenzin sighed heavily, trying to regain his composure. ''You're right. We have to find her before Shǔ does.''

_''I'll do everything I can to find her, I promise you,''_ Korra said with fierce determination. _''But, I'll need all the help I can get.''_

Before Tenzin could reply on the radio to her, Bumi leant forward, practically flopping himself over his brother to get to the speaker. ''I'm joining in on this search and rescue mission. You'll need the help of a master tracker like me.''

Ikki and Meelo hopped on top of their uncle, resulting in Tenzin becoming more crushed under the growing pile of weight. ''Us too!'' Ikki chanted heroically. ''Our sister isn't going to go on an exciting adventure and leave us out of out.''

Suddenly, the three of them were blown off of Tenzin by a huge gust of air as the old master yelled out loud. ''No one is going on an exciting adventure! This is a search and rescue mission, nothing else! We find Jinora and Kai and bring them home before Shǔ finds them. And I will not risk the safety of any of my children!'' He turned his attention back to the radio, speaking to Korra in a more professional tone. ''I will meet you at the Republic City Dock within the hour. We can take Oogi and fly to the nearby islands to begin our search.''

* * *

''Sounds like a plan,'' Korra stated. ''We'll get ourselves ready before moving out. We have to prepare for the worst with Shǔ out there, especially if he's going after Jinora as well. We don't want to give him the 'two birds; one stone' scenario.''

_''I couldn't agree more. I'll see you soon.''_ The faint click signalled the end of the transmission from Tenzin's side, and Korra hung up from her end. She rose from her seat and headed for the other room to return to the others, quickly thanking the radio handler in the presidential communication office. Luckily, Korra didn't have to travel far to call Tenzin after getting her cryptic message from the spirit not long ago.

Before the knowledge of Jinora and Kai's disappearance, Korra felt that the situation regarding Shǔ wasn't too desperate. After all, it seemed like he was on the run, but know Korra feared that he was merely just shifting his target. As accomplished as an Air-Bender Jinora was, Korra worried that Shǔ would be too strong for her to handle, even with Kai's help. He kept Korra on her toes and only retreated after she went into the Avatar State. Not to mention there was still the lingering feeling that something else, something darker was in play; her nightmare from the night before had to be a sign. Right now, though, all she cared about was finding Jinora and Kai.

She stepped into the main room, everyone's heads; Asami, Mako, Bolin, Lin and Opal, all turned to face her and wait for an update. ''I got through to Tenzin. He and Bumi are getting ready to meet at the dock in less than an hour. So if anyone can help, now's the time to get ready.''

''You know we've always got your back,'' Bolin said with a hopeful smile. ''Team Avatar always sticks together.''

However, Lin cleared her throat and everyone turned to face the veteran officer, who had her arms crossed and a sorrowful look about her. ''Unfortunately, Mako can't go with you.''

''What?'' The Fire-Bender gasped. ''Chief?''

''Raiko's orders! Every cop in the city that's available is to stay on duty for as long as possible with this terrorist threat at large. I wish you could go, but it's out of my hands.''

Mako's frustration was clear as he raised his voice to his superior. ''That doesn't make any sense. This could be a chance to catch the terrorist and stop the threat.''

''Raiko doesn't see it that way. You know what he's like, he wants to put the safety of the people in Republic City first.''

''But…'' Mako wanted to argue further, hoping to find some way to win this argument. But it was fruitless trying to win an argument with a Beifong, especially one under orders from the President himself.

Before the detective could say anything else, Korra patted a hand on his shoulder, turning his attention towards her. ''It's okay. Make sure that Shǔ doesn't return whilst we're gone.''

His eyes diverted away from looking at hers, feeling as he was letting her down by not being there by her side. As he clenched his fist tightly in infuriation, his arm shook uncontrollably, forcing him to shift his body to the side hoping that no one would notice. Now wanting the attention off him, he sighed before nodding slowly. ''Alright.''

Korra offered a reassuring smile and a quick, comforting hug. ''We'll be back soon.''

After parting ways, they left the room. Once the door had shut behind them, an awkward silence filled the room for a split second. ''Chief…''

''When were you going to bring up the fact your arm hasn't healed yet?'' She questioned impatiently.

He froze on the spot. ''What…what do you mean?''

''Don't play dumb with me. It doesn't look good on either of us.''

''There's…it…'' He hesitated to find an honest answer. ''I've been having it checked at for the past two years, Chief. Every doctor I've been appointed to says my arm has physically healed.''

''Then explain the constant shaking, looks of discomfort, and your lack of fire-bending efficiency.''

''What makes you think there's something wrong with my fire-bending?''

''You do recall that we have to report assignments we're tasked with, including fellow officers you work with,'' She stated, growing notably impatient with him continually dodging her inquiries. ''Including the one for tonight, where it states you had a free shot at the attacker but reeled back in pain before taking it!''

Yet again, Mako couldn't look eye to eye with the one speaking to him, finding himself backed into a corner. The throbbing in his scarred arm wouldn't stop, not helping his case one bit. He did have it regularly checked the first few months after the scarring, but after a while, it seemed fine, and he could even start Firebending again within half a year. But recently, it hadn't been the same.

''Is this the real reason you don't want me to help search for Jinora?''

Lin closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. ''No, Raiko really did call for every officer in the city. Trust me, I would like you to be out there helping find Jinora. But for now, your place is here, and under my order. And as an order, you won't keep this injury of yours under wraps. Get your arm checked out as soon as possible. Believe me, keeping the pain inside doesn't help.'' Her tone became softer with every passing word. Bitter annoyance replaced with genuine sympathy.

This change in tone was the kind of kick Mako needed to get a good response from him. ''Okay, I will.''

''Good, you're one of the best we've got, and I want you in tip-top condition.''

''Yeah,'' He agreed with a forced smile, a smile that slowly vanished as he stared down towards the burned tissue over his twitching fingers. ''Tip-top.''

* * *

''Please, dad!'' Meelo and Ikki begged for the hundredth time as their father rushed past them, stacking provisional supplies into a small rucksack.

''For the final time, you two cannot come with me!'' He replied sternly whilst hurrying along to retrieve more items for the search. Ikki and Meelo were not too far behind, following him wherever he went.

''But you'll need all the help you can get!'' Ikki said with bubbling frustration.

Tenzin turned sharply to face them. ''I will have your Uncle Bumi with me.''

''Even Uncle Bumi gets to go?''

''Your Uncle Bumi has had many years experience working with the United Nations Forces, and is an exceptional tracker…'' He paused mid-sentence and his gaze averted elsewhere as he pondered. ''Perhaps exceptional is too strong a word…''

A yell followed from Bumi in the other room. ''I heard that!''

Ignoring his brother's offended call, Tenzin continued with arguing his case to the children. ''What I'm trying to say is that Bumi will offer all the assistance I need for now. In the meantime, you two will stay here and…''

''This isn't fair!'' Meelo griped.

With his patience growing thin, and the overwhelming worry regarding Jinora's safety clouding his judgment, Tenzin's voice grew louder. ''It's not about being fair. This isn't some game or fun adventure…''

''We know that!'' Ikki yelled, silencing her father. ''We're not little kids anymore. We know this is going to be dangerous, and that's why we want to help any way we can. We're not saying it isn't fair because it's about Jinora, it's unfair because we're family too and we have to help.''

There was a moment of silence after that aggressive outburst. Tenzin didn't utter another word for a short time, and his expression softened ever so slightly. He could see the grit and determination in their eyes, even with the argument now ceased. Tenzin placed his rucksack on the floor and kneeled down. He imagined facing them eye-to-eye at this level. However, he discovered that they were now looking down on him. They were growing up faster than he realised. ''I'm sorry.''

Ikki and Meelo were taken aback for a moment.

''You're right. You have just as much right to protect Jinora as I do. I'm just…I'm scared. I don't know what's happening to her right now, and it's that lack of knowing which terrifies me the most.''

Ikki offered a reassuring grin. ''Jinora's really smart. If she's ever in trouble, she can always figure her way out. Don't tell her I said that.''

''I'm going to tell her,'' Meelo said.

She ignored her brother and stepped closer to her father, grabbing his arm softly. ''We're a family. The responsibility falls on all of us. You don't have to put all that pressure on your shoulder.''

''Yeah,'' Meelo cut in, pumping his fist in the air. ''Because we're all with you to help lift that pressure. Airbender style!''

''Not how I was going to phrase it, but the same basic principal,'' Ikki said.

It was an overwhelming feeling in the midst of such dire and unsure times. He couldn't stop the smile on his face from growing as he looked at his children, beaming proudly. He placed his hand over Ikki's. After a soft exhale, he nodded. ''Very well. You can come along. Get your things packed! We'll be making this at least a day's work, so make sure you have all the provisional you need.''

He could see that the young Airbender wanted to leap for joy, but they instead chose to keep their feelings inwards and opted to respectfully bow to their father and teacher before heading back to their respective rooms.

Tenzin stood tall and watched his children head off down the corridor, the smile never leaving his face. A voice from behind caught him off guard. ''I was wondering how long it would take,'' Pema said.

He arched an eyebrow at her. ''For me to give in and allow them to come along?''

''To notice they're growing up faster than you realise.''

Tenzin's gaze shifted to the floor. ''I know.''

His heart felt heavy as memories flickered before his eyes, seeing each of his children grow up in a flash. To him, it felt too close to reality at this point. A warm, gentle hand cupped his cheek and forced him to turn and stare his wife in the eyes. ''They want to protect their family just as much as you do.''

However, after a moment, her brave look began to falter. Tenzin wasn't the only one reliving memories of their growing family. An image of Jinora came to her, and this threatened to open the floodgates. Her bottom lip wobbled. ''We have to find her.'' She whimpered.

''We will. I promise.''

* * *

''I know that this all can't be a coincidence,'' Korra stated as she paced back and forth in the room. ''My nightmare…Shǔ…Jinora's secret mission! They're all connected in some way and I can't figure out what.''

At the other end of their room, Asami was busy frantically packing up all the essential supplies they would need for their trip.

An open bag lay sprawled on the bed with maps folded into pockets. Warm clothes were left dangling on the corner ready to be stuffed in. They weren't sure where exactly they were going to be going yet, although Korra had a few places in mind that she theorised Jinora could potentially visit. Even if they couldn't find her, they need some indication of where she might have been and may clue the group in on what she was planning.

Worried that Korra might end up pacing herself through the floor, Asami stopped packing and rushed over to grab her girlfriend by the shoulders gently. ''Korra, you can't worry about that now. Once we're looking for Jinora, we'll figure something out. For now, we just have to make sure we have everything we need packed and ready. We don't want to get halfway around the world only to realise we're down to our last water bottle.''

Korra tried to relax. However, this was a task too difficult for her to accomplish right now. Her mind was spinning with terrible scenarios scratching at the surface and making her body tense. She had stopped pacing, but couldn't stop trembling, even when Asami wrapped her arms around her and rested her head on her shoulder.

The soothing sounds of Asami's breathing finally helped her to calm down. It was the first moment in what felt like a long time where Korra felt draped in the consoling quietness.

''What if…'' Korra hesitated. ''What if Jinora doesn't need my help.''

''Korra…''

''No, I mean it. What if me getting involved will put her in more danger? She told me I shouldn't go into the Spirit World. Maybe she thinks I could do some to jeopardise whatever she's planning?''

''I don't believe that,'' Asami said firmly.

Korra turned sharply to face her. ''Then how else would you explain her keeping me in the dark?''

''For your protection is one possibility! Just as we believe Shǔ is going after her, maybe Jinora was thinking of not getting you involved because she thought that might endanger you and make you a target.''

It was a logical enough reason. Korra's eyes looked away from Asami's, becoming lost in her own thoughts and wondering if that was something Jinora would do. ''I just…I feel…I feel so useless right now. I'm afraid that no matter what action I take it could put her in even more danger.''

''If Shǔ is going after her then I don't know how she could be in any more danger than she already is.''

Another moment of silence between them set in. Korra then suddenly felt a surge of pain sting around her midriff. Her hand pressed against her waist, pushing onto the bandage that covered her cut from her scuffle with Shǔ. Noticing the pain written all over her face, Asami guided Korra over to the bed and the two sat on the edge, quiet and unmoving.

Finally, Korra mumbled. ''We're going up against an enemy we can't figure out and don't know the limits of what he's capable of. The only way we have a chance of beating him is finding answers. I don't know how we can find those answers without Jinora.''

''We'll find a way. We always have.''

Korra nodded slowly, happy to hear some encouraging words. Still, a feeling of shame and guilt crawled its way inside her, making her want to shrivel away and hide. But she couldn't afford to do that now, not when people needed her the most. She tilted her head to plant a tender kiss on Asami's forehead. ''I'm sorry that this birthday didn't turn out how we planned.''

Asami didn't reply right away. Instead, she glanced upwards to cup Korra's cheek. ''They'll be another one next year,'' She then forced a cheery smile. ''And I promise, that one will be just a quiet gathering with loved ones, unlike the circus last night.''

''The sad part is that I can't if you were referring to the Waterbender attack or Raiko's publicity hogging,'' Korra mumbled sarcastically, earning a sincere giggle from Asami.

Korra wished that this peaceful moment could last for a little longer. Unfortunately, they knew that they couldn't afford to waste any more time. They needed to hurry and get their last few things packed before meeting with Tenzin and Bumi very soon.

Despite how heavy her heartfelt and how close she felt to being engulfed by everything, she eased those feelings to the side to be dealt with later. The fire inside her flickered, burning brighter and brighter until it shone within her very eyes.

* * *

''Do we really need all of this, Bolin?'' Opal asked as the two of them hurried to the dock where they would be meeting with the others.

The Airbender didn't feel the needed to fill her back with everything, only the essentials. A habit she had picked up when studying the ways of Airbending. Learning those small rudiments can make the biggest difference in the long run. Her overeager boyfriend, who was stumbling behind her, not so much…

''I wanted to make sure that we were well-stocked on everything, and I mean everything,'' He gasped, pouring with sweat and on his very last breath as he jogged beside Opal with a large rucksack strapped to his back, almost overflowing between the loose straps and holes. ''You'll be thanking me later. Trust me, going to the bathroom in the wild, natural-style, ain't all it's cracked up to be.'' He wheezed.

''Okay,'' Opal said amusedly. ''Just don't pass out carrying those supplies before we even set off.''

''I can't make any promises,'' He replied with a cough and slowed down for a moment.

Opal got herself ready just in case he really did pass out. But he managed to pull himself together and sprinted forward. Just as she wondered whether they'd be able to fly with Bolin's rucksack, even with the size of a fully-grown air bison, a ball of red fur poked his head out from one of the holes in the rucksack before running down and nestling himself onto Bolin's shoulder.

''Pabu, that's where you were,'' Bolin said, nudging his head against his animal companion. ''See, that's why the bag was so heavy. I feel much better already…'' He said to Opal conceitedly and then started to lose his balance from moving his head too far to one side. Before he could fully lose his footing, a stray gust of wind helped him back up. ''Thank you.''

''You're welcome.'' Opal grinned.

Luckily for Bolin, the dock wasn't much further, and they could see that everyone was already there waiting for them. Korra and Asami were standing by waiting, whilst Tenzin, Bumi, Ikki and Meelo were all seated on top of the yawing Oogi, clearly frustrated at being awake this early in the morning.

Opal was the first to reach them, immediately noticing the two younger members of their team. ''You guys are coming too?''

Meelo offered her a thumbs-up gesture. ''Of course! If anyone messes with my sister, then I'm here to show them a world of pain.''

His uncle wrapped an arm around his shoulder, enthusiastically pulling him closer. ''That's the spirit! With my tracking skills and your youth, we'll be the dream team to end all dream teams.''

As the two of them revelled, Tenzin and Ikki shot each other a quick glance, already contemplating if bringing the pair together was the wisest decision.

Korra turned to Opal and Bolin. ''Are we ready to go?''

''Yep,'' Bolin huffed and puffed as he finally set his huge rucksack down onto the ground, almost accidentally throwing Pabu off his shoulder from the momentum. ''More than ready.''

''Way more than ready judging by the size of the house you're carrying,'' Korra stated, trying to suppress the urge to laugh.

The armpits of Bolin's shirt were drenched with sweat, and his trousers were unbuckled and embarrassingly close to falling down below his knees. ''This…is…my…'' He breathed heavily. ''Ultimate survival kit! It will save my life, I guarantee you.''

''Not if it crushes you first.'' Asami quipped.

Opal rolled her eyes and smirked. ''There's no point in arguing, I've already tried.''

''What's there to argue? I am fully prepared for this trip! There is nothing that I will not be ready for from this point onwards.''

In the distance, a voice called out. ''Bolin!''

Everyone turned to see a United Forces captain rushing over in their direction. As he got closer, Bolin felt the need to rest against his rucksack, needing a moment to catch his breath and hope that his blurred vision would pass. By the time that it did, the captain had reached them, saluting the group before facing the Earthbender with a serious expression. ''We need you to report back to the ship. We're going to be heading out.''

Bolin's eyes bulged out from their sockets, and he shot up to his feet. ''What? Why?''

''General Iroh wants our unit to report back to the ship. We'll be returning to our station in the Fire Nation, and from where Firelord Izumi will be giving us new instructions to combat this terrorist threat.''

''But…but…I…we…the Air Bison…'' He panted, stretching out his shaky arms and constantly shifting his body back and forth between the captain and his friends waiting for him. ''I promised I would go with them.''

''I'm sorry. These orders are not only from the general but also from the Firelord herself. We're being called back. Report to the ship within the hour; no delays!'' He spoke firmly before turning heel and marching away.

Bolin's body slumped forward so far, his hands dropped to the ground. It wasn't just from the exhaustion of carrying his admittedly heavy rucksack, but also the feeling of disgrace he felt within himself at leaving his friends. Thinking of his friends, he turned around to see the glum looks on each of their faces, in particular, Opal, who suddenly found the ground much for interesting to look at.

''Guys…I…'' Bolin stammered, unsure of how he could excuse himself. No, he knew that he couldn't.

Korra stepped forward and offered a kind smile. ''Don't worry. They need you.''

''But you need me.'' He responded sadly.

Her face twitched, almost exposing her dejection at the whole situation. ''We won't be gone long. Besides, think of it this way, you'll be helping us to cover more ground with the United Forces. If you guys find Jinora and Kai first, then you can let us know.''

''I guess,'' Bolin said, understanding both what she was suggesting and that she was just trying to make him feel better. But there was something that she couldn't make him feel better with, and she knew what it was when he turned to look at Opal. ''I am so sorry. I honestly didn't know we would get called back…''

''Don't think that I'm angry, I'm not…'' She said dolefully. ''I understand that you're needed elsewhere. I'll see you when we get back, okay?''

He couldn't look her in the eyes, but he managed a nod. ''Okay.'' Feeling more tired now than he did when carrying his rucksack he turned away so that he could follow the captain back to the ship. However, he stopped and grunted loudly with frustration when he realised that he had forgotten something. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his rucksack and dragged it onto his back before staggering away.

Before heading back to the others, Korra turned to Opal and saw the Airbender fold her arms over her chest. Opal sighed quietly. ''It never gets any easier. Saying goodbye.''

''No, it doesn't,'' Korra said. Wanting to help her friend before they head out, she placed a comforting hand on Opal's shoulder. ''But, I like to think it makes the hellos feel much better.''

''That doesn't work for me,'' She replied quickly and harsher than what she had meant. She knew that Korra was just trying to help. She felt the Avatar's hand on her shoulder flinch at her response. Feeling bad, she grabbed Korra's hand and squeezed gently. ''Thank you for saying that, though.''

A small grin grew on Korra's face.

Even though they weren't going to be heading out with everyone like they had planned, they couldn't afford to waste any more time. Shǔ had already made enough ground to potentially be anywhere on the planet at this very moment. Korra knew that if they wanted to have a shot at finding Jinora first, they would need to go now.

She turned to the group, a look of determination infectiously rubbing off on the others. ''Let's go.''

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them._


	4. The Search Begins Part II

**Legend of Korra: Life**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender &amp; Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

If you enjoyed this story and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Search Begins Part II**

The sun hung brightly high in the sky, looking down on the group as they continued their journey on the back of Oogi. Everyone kept their eyes peeled, staring across every part of the horizon, hopeful that they might catch even the slightest glimpse of Jinora and Kai. Any hint on the young Airbender's whereabouts would have been acceptable. However, travelling like this, wishing to stumble upon them was a fruitless endeavour.

Tenzin sat at the front, guiding his Air-Bison to where they needed to go. His gaze fixed in one direction. Despite his expression appearing calm and unmoving, the sound of his frantic heartbeat was almost as audible as the howling of the wind against their clothing.

Before long, he felt a comforting hand rub his arm and Korra seated next to him. He turned away shamefacedly. ''I'm sorry. I'm worrying everyone, aren't I?''

''Don't beat yourself up over this,'' Korra hushed. ''We're all worried about Jinora.''

''I know. But I'm finding it difficult to hold it together. It's bad enough that I don't know where my daughter is, but knowing that there is someone out there trying to hunt her down…'' His bottom lip quivered and there was a noticeable loss of breath. ''If anything were to happen to her, I could never forgive myself. She may be an awe-inspiring and incredible Airbender, but she is also my daughter.''

Korra nodded and turned towards the skyline, not responding to Tenzin at first, allowing the elder a moment to let the silence sink in and still his growing worry. ''I can't imagine what that's like. I don't want to assume that I know what you're going through. But, I do want you to know that we're Jinora's family too, and we're not going to stop until she's back home, safe and well.''

After a moment, Tenzin turned to face Korra and his lip curled into a small grin. ''Thank you.''

''Don't mention it.'' Korra smiled.

Another moment of peace passed between them before Tenzin cleared his throat. ''How about we change the topic for now? Just to keep our minds from becoming too clouded with worry.''

''I like the sound of that. What do you want to talk about?''

Korra noticed Tenzin glance her way before seemingly to bashfully turn the other way, leaving her slightly bewildered to see her master in such a state. ''Well…actually, you mentioning family reminded me of something I've been genuinely curious about. It's none of my business, and I would completely understand if you don't want to discuss this now, especially seeing as we're beginning a very serious mission and…''

''Okay, Tenzin, I'll bite. Why the ramble? Is something wrong?''

''No, no, not wrong. It's just a personal question and I wasn't sure how to ask.''

She gave him a hopeful grin. ''You can just ask.''

''Have you and Asami thought about…starting a family?'' He finally inquired. Korra's eyebrows rose into her hairline and she feared for a second that she would slip off of Oogi, but managed to adjust her balance and stare at Tenzin with wide eyes. Seeing her shock, Tenzin immediately apologised. ''I'm sorry. That was quite possibly the worst way I could have asked that question.''

''No, no, it's fine,'' Korra said, raising her hands to try and calm him down. ''I just…didn't expect a question like that.''

''It's just that…in all the years that I've known you, I've never been able to tell if you've wanted to have a family of your own.''

Letting the question sink in, Korra deliberated what she had just been asked. He hand gently patted against Oogi's saddle as she looked at the different clouds. Her mind was a muddle, trying to figure out the correct words. ''To be honest, I've never given it much thought.''

''You and Asami haven't talked about it?''

''Not really. We've just been focusing on ourselves.''

''There's nothing wrong with that.''

''I know,'' Korra paused and bit her bottom lip. ''I…I think I would like to. But how would we even start a family?''

''I'm certain that there are plenty of children out there hoping for adoption.''

''Yeah, but…I'm the Avatar. If I had children, who knows what kind of pressure the world would put on them? And I don't want that.''

Tenzin hummed amusedly. ''Believe me, I understand what you mean.''

''Did you ever feel that pressure growing up?''

''About being the son of the Avatar? No, not really. As far as I could remember, I had the ability to air bend, and that was where I found the true weight on my shoulders. There was more pressure on me to help restart the legacy of an entire culture, rather than be known as the offspring to Aang. My father never treated his role as the Avatar like a duty, more…just…as a part of himself. He didn't see himself as greater than others, instead, he would look at me as if I was the greatest thing he had ever laid eyes on.''

''Sounds nice.''

''Yes, it was,'' Tenzin look out into the distance. ''When each of my children was born, I had the exact same feeling. I saw Jinora, Ikki, Meelo and Rohan as my father saw me. That's what it feels like to be a parent.''

Korra beamed, seeing Tenzin so full of happiness, so much so that she could practically see the memories he was reliving play out in front of her. She looked behind, staring over at Asami who was in the middle of a conversation with the others. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of them one day having a son or daughter, or even both. ''Maybe someday.''

''It's a decision only you two can make. You may change or mind one day, or you may not, it's up to you.'' Tenzin said.

They looked below Oogi, the ground unseen by the endless sea of clouds. Their options on where to look for Jinora was small, which meant that it should be relatively easy to start looking for her, however, they knew that their journey wasn't going to be as straightforward. Jinora was a very intelligent young woman. If she were on some kind of mission, so top secret that she wouldn't even involve Korra or her father, then she would constantly be on the move.

Not to mention the added obstacle that Shǔ represented. Even if they got to Jinora first, if they got to her, there was still the realistic worry that they could encounter the shadowy foe along the way. Although this troubled Korra and Tenzin greatly, for others, they relished the challenge.

Behind them, Meelo proclaimed proudly. ''You know, I think if we bump into Shǔ again, I could probably take him myself.''

Ikki rolled her eyes and turned to her brother. ''Oh really? Why do you think that?''

''Simple, he's a Waterbender, right? So, if we're going to be travelling across the land, we'll have the elemental advantage over him. He'll be outnumbered and outmatched. It'll be a piece of cake.''

Despite his confident tone, Ikki didn't look impressed. ''Is that what you think?''

''Absolutely,'' Meelo smugly replied. ''Don't worry, I'll make sure that you guys get some of the glory too.''

Whilst Ikki groaned loud enough to startle a flock of birds nearby, Asami giggled amusedly. ''Well, thank you for thinking about us too.''

''Don't mention it.''

The young man leant back, resting against the edge of the saddle and rested his head to look up at the wondrous sky. A mixture of blue and orange that could melt the icy tips of mountains, it felt like they were floating into another world.

Meelo's moment of tranquillity was interrupted when he felt an arm wrap tightly around his shoulder. At first, he was going to throw a snide comment, expecting it to be Ikki, but instead was surprised to see Bumi starting at him boldly. ''That is the kind of spirit that separates the adventurers from the Tenzin's. In all my years of service, I've found very few with that kind of bravado and confidence that you possess.''

''Really?'' Meelo beamed before he cleared his throat and folded his arms over his chest, radiating poise. ''I mean, of course. I laugh in the face of danger.''

Ikki smirked. ''Does the danger then laugh with you or at you?''

Before Meelo could throw a retort back at his sarcastic sibling, Opal, who had been very quiet since they started their journey, spoke up. ''You do realise where we're heading, right?''

Panicked looks shot across both Meelo and Bumi's faces. Meelo remained silent whereas Bumi stood up and pointed in the direction they were going. ''I know exactly where we're going. I wouldn't be a master tracker if I couldn't look out over that landscape and say we were heading in the direction of…'' He stalled his sentence for as long as possible, gazing around in the hopes of something jogging his memory and giving him a clue to answer his niece's question.

Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Ikki scoffed. ''You don't know, do you?''

''I do!'' Bumi argued. A few seconds of silence passed as the others waited for his answer. ''Can I ask for a hint first?''

''We're going to the Foggy Swamp,'' Asami answered. ''Korra can't go into the Spirit World, but there was nothing said in Jinora's message about not using the Swamp as a way to find her. She could connect with the spiritual energy there and hopefully, we can maybe find a clue at the very least.''

Opal quickly followed up. ''And the Swamp is mostly covered in water. So, if we come across Shǔ, he will actually have the advantage over us.''

A sense of dread slowly crawled its way into Meelo and Bumi. All of a sudden, his overwhelming confidence didn't shine as brightly as it did a moment ago. However, after a while, he shrugged his shoulders and smirked. ''It doesn't matter. We still outnumber him, and we have the Avatar on our side.''

The buoyancy quickly rubbed off on Bumi. ''That's exactly what I was thinking. I have been in many a situation where the odds were stacked against my crew and me, but we always pulled through. In fact, it happened so often, I was known as a lucky charm with whoever I sailed with.''

Seemingly, out of nowhere, Tenzin called out. ''I find that hard to believe, considering a vast majority of ships you sailed with sank in battle.''

''They didn't sink,'' Bumi shouted defiantly. ''They were…momentarily out of commission due to excess of enemy firepower. Besides, that would just make the victories at the end of the day taste even sweeter. For example…''

''Here we go.'' Tenzin exasperated under his breathe.

''There was this time we had found ourselves lost in the middle of an infinite desert. With no water and no hope of being found, we were on our own. It didn't help that we had five different Sandbender Tribes chasing us down…''

Once again, Tenzin mumbled under his breathe. ''Last time, he said it was three tribes.''

Korra quietly chuckled. ''He told me it was four.''

* * *

Hours passed by, filled up with Bumi's countless tales of his heroics, only interrupted by the occasional question asking about the validity certain events, which Bumi would always have some ludicrous answer for. Tenzin listened in, at least now having something to take his mind off of Jinora, if only a little bit. There was no guarantee that even the Swamp could provide them with the answers that they needed, but it was their best shot.

Korra wasn't sure if this was going to work. She had been practically barred from entering the Spirit World under Jinora's unusual instructions, but also couldn't seem to sense Shǔ beforehand when he escaped the city. Even if they couldn't find Jinora using the spiritual connection embedded within the roots of the Swamp, she hoped to at least understand why she couldn't sense the Waterbender at the time. Either way, she wasn't going to rest until she found one of them, whether it is separately or together.

It wasn't hard for them to find the Swamp once they got close enough. The tall trees and their sea of thick branches and vines stretched outwards, encompassing the land. Already, Korra felt her body become lighter and warmer. A sense of relief and serenity seeped into her very being, making her feel like a home away from home.

Tenzin carefully guided Oogi through the large branches. Swiftly passing over some and underneath others, until eventually, they found a large body of body, covered in moss. The Air Bison was clearly not too enthusiastic about dipping his feet into the murky water, so Tenzin glanced around until he found a root of a tree that was stable enough for them to land on.

One by one, the team dismounted off Oogi and took in their surroundings. Immediately, Korra's eyes were drawn to the familiar Banyan-grove tree, towering over everything in its sight. It was still a marvellous sight to behold even with the scars that Kuvira's battalion had inflicted two years ago. During that time, the tree had started to heal, with new life blossoming. Smaller tree and plant life rooted up from beneath the water's surface.

However, Korra knew that there wasn't much time to admire the natural beauty. Although, having returned here for the first time in quite a while, she felt compelled to do one thing before they ventured off to the epicentre of the Swamp.

She kneeled down, pressed her knuckles together and closed her eyes before taking a few soft breaths. A smile crossed her lips as memories flooded her mind, bringing with them a small wave of sadness.

The presence of another nearby caught her attention. She opened her eyes slightly and saw Opal resting on her knees next to her, taking the same pose as the Avatar and saying a silent prayer. It wasn't too long before Opal's gazed at Korra, eyes fluttering open, so clear that Korra could see her rippled reflection in them. ''I miss grandma Toph too.''

Korra offered a reassuring smile, quickly holding Opal's hand for support before the two of them stood back up and turned towards the others, who had allowed the two a moment to pay their respects whilst getting themselves ready.

''Do you think the tree will be able to help us find Jinora and Kai?'' Ikki asked.

''I'm not sure. But it's at least a good place to start,'' Korra replied. ''We'll head over, and maybe I could use the roots to find a trace.''

''Why couldn't we park on the actual tree itself?'' Bumi questioned.

''Ever since Kuvira's forces disturbed the Swamp, the trees have been extremely protective of the Banyan-grove,'' Tenzin answered. ''If we had attempted to land on it, we might have been attacked by the vines. We can settle Oogi here for now and walk the rest of the way. It shouldn't take us more than ten minutes to be there.''

Before another argument could be made, Korra stepped towards the edge and looked around for something. Eventually, she caught sight of a giant lily pad, big enough to carry all of them. Using her bending, she beckoned the waves to carry it over, gently so not to topple their mode of transportation. ''All aboard.''

Once everyone was on and they were certain their weight wouldn't cause them any problems, Korra directed the lily pad using the water. Meanwhile, the tired Air-Bison remained behind and rested himself on the root, taking a well-deserved rest.

They all kept their movement to a minimum, careful so not to tip themselves over and make their travel harder, or messier than it needed to be. All eyes were peeled, on the lookout for anything strange, however, there didn't appear to be anything out of place…and that's what was most troubling.

Asami turned to Korra, the Avatar waving her arms to keep pushing the waves against them. An anxious expression plastered over her face. ''Is it just me, or does the Swamp seem too quiet?''

''I was thinking the same thing,'' Korra responded. ''Where is the wildlife? The spirits? Anything?''

''Maybe they left when they heard us coming?'' Ikki suggested.

''I don't know,'' Korra muttered. She looked towards the distance, trying to see past the trees and further into the Swamp, however, the pitch-black shadows made that impossible. Anything or anyone could be hiding and they wouldn't have a clue. ''I've got a bad feeling about this.''

Bumi pondered, scratching the hairs of his beard. ''If it's _us _that the spirits are afraid of, then there's only one-way to find out,'' He shoved his hand into the collar of his jacket, fumbling around inside for a bit, earning a few perplexed looks from the others before he undid the zip a little. Just enough for something bright, blue and fluffy to hovered out from inside and nestle on his shoulder. ''I'm sorry it took so long, I hope you weren't cramped in there, Bum-Ju.'' He cooed to his little companion, who responded by nuzzling his head against the man's cheek.

''Was he sleeping inside your jacket the whole time?'' Opal questioned.

''Hey, he finds it quite snug in there. He can sleep in here for nights on end if he wants too.''

''Congratulations, Bumi,'' Tenzin mumbled. ''You have answered my eternal query on whether the spirits have a sense of smell.''

''Aww, thanks, I try to…'' Bumi beamed before his face dropped and he turned sharply towards his brother. ''One second, what's that supposed to mean?''

Suddenly, Bum-Ju's winged-ears perked upwards and his blue eyes appeared to bulge outwards in shock. He let out a frightened squeal before darting upwards like a missile. Somehow, Bumi reacted quick enough to reach up and grab the startled dragonfly bunny. He desperately tried to calm the spirit and pull him down, but the little guy almost pulled the Airbender up into the air in an impulsive attempt to escape.

No one was sure of what to do. They had never seen the spirit so scared before, and Bumi's heart was torn to see his friend in such a state. ''Bum-Ju, what's wrong?'' He cried out.

As he held on for dear life, almost being thrown into the water, the spirit continued to shriek.

Korra could see that Bum-Ju was trying to fly in a certain direction. A theory came to her and she turned in the opposite direction, watching behind them into a tunnel of shadow and darkness. There was no other sound besides Bum-Ju's until she felt the wind seem to pick up and the water trembled at an alarming rate, starting with small ripples before spiralling into small waves. She could feel that something was in the water, heading in their direction.

It quickly crossed her mind what was coming for them, or in this case, who.

''Everyone! In the trees, now!'' Korra yelled.

She didn't waste a second, quickly grabbing Asami by the waist and using her air bending to soar high into the air until they landed on one of the many thick branches.

Following her actions, everyone else was quick to find their own branch to call their own and hide on. Bumi didn't have to, as Bum-Ju was able to carry him upwards highest of them all, and they hid within the leaves and vines out of sight.

Once everyone was in the trees and hidden, all was quiet once more, even Bum-Ju's cries had ceased now that he had gotten what he wanted. Asami leant in close to whisper to Korra. ''What is it?''

''He's here.''

Sure enough, just a mere moment later, something rocketed from out of the shadows. It skidded along the surface at tremendous speed before coming to a halt right next to the giant lily pad. Korra's body tensed once she caught a good look at Shǔ. The hooded figure eyed the plant curiously, and Korra feared that he had spotted them before they had a chance to properly hide.

Shǔ's head tilted upwards, scanning the area around him, possibly looking for the disturbance he had felt in the water. He moved slowly and deliberately, as if afraid if he rushed he might pass over a vital detail.

Korra glanced over towards the others, seeing each of them remaining as still and quiet as possible. She caught Tenzin looking back at her, and the two appeared to be considering their options through looks alone. It didn't seem like Shǔ saw them move, otherwise, he would have surely attacked them at this point. They had the element of surprise on their hand, but did they really want a fight?

After what seemed like forever, Shǔ turned around and looked towards the Banyan-grove tree. His head lowered and he took one step backwards. It was only then that Korra realised the individual was standing on the very surface of the water. Droplets flowed up along his shoes and froze into ice. Shǔ walked towards the tree on top of the water, then he started to run, before suddenly going into a full-on sprint.

Once they were sure that Shǔ was far enough away, the group let out a collective breath of relief. ''That was close,'' Meelo stressed.

Ikki turned towards him with a smug look. ''I thought you wanted to find him so that you could fight him!''

Meelo did everything in his power not to look his sister in the eyes. ''I…I wasn't ready. Gotta get myself prepared, you know!''

''We're not here to fight Shǔ,'' Opal stressed. ''We're here to find Jinora and Kai.''

''But Shǔ is heading in the direction we were going,'' Ikki pointed out. ''So what do we do now?''

It was just as Korra feared. She had hoped that they wouldn't cross paths with the Waterbender, at least not until after they found Jinora and Kai, and had a better understanding of what they were dealing with. The only positive they could take from this sighting was that Shǔ hadn't found Jinora yet and was probably still looking for her.

That's when an idea came to her. ''We follow him.''

''What?'' Everyone gasped.

''Are you sure that's a good idea?'' Asami asked.

''Look, if we want to have any chance of finding Jinora, we need to get to that tree. But…if Shǔ is here, then maybe he might think Jinora and Kai are here too, or maybe he's going to use the tree somehow, I don't know,'' Korra strained, doing her best to keep her composure. ''Shǔ, doesn't know that we're here. As long as we keep our distance, and stay out of the water, we can follow him and see what he's up to. At the very least, we can catch this guy and make sure that he's not out there hurting anyone else.''

Tenzin breathed heavily. ''It's risky.''

''I know. But at this point, we have to take some risks.''

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them._


	5. Dawn of the Unknown

**Legend of Korra: Life**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender &amp; Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

If you enjoyed this story and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Dawn of the Unknown**

''This is our moment to shine Zhu-Li!'' Varrick proclaimed proudly with his wife and business partner following behind, desperately trying to keep up. She knew that whenever he had a confident swagger in his step, no force in this world could stop him. Even as he struggled the carry the stack of paperwork folded under his arms and research equipment jammed into his backpack.

Zhu-Li eyed him amusedly. ''Are you sure you don't want me to carry any of that for…''

Before she could finish her sentence, Varrick turned sharply to face her. ''I'm sorry, Zhu-Li. It's not that I don't trust you because I do trust you. I trust you with my life! In fact, I have done on multiple occasions.''

''Then what's the problem? I can carry something.''

''Nope,'' He shook his head. ''You don't have to trouble yourself. I'm willing to hoist the weight of our unanimous brilliance onto my slender, rugged shoulders.''

''Even if it breaks your back?'' She teased.

Varrick chortled and turned back around. ''You act like I'm an old man. It'll take more than this to…'' A sudden cracking noise caused him to stop in his tracks and his body tensed. Zhu-Li rolled her eyes and moved closer to her husband, watching him try to suppress his pain. Droplets of sweat started to form as he croaked. ''Zhu-Li, do the thing, please!''

She placed her hands on his back before pressing down, gently at first. More forced was added until another crack vented from Varrick's back and he slouched forward.

''Thank you,'' He sighed.

''You're welcome, sir,'' Zhu-Li grinned light-heartedly. However, a thought came to her regarding Varrick's reluctance to let her carry their equipment. She scowled and placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from striding forward. ''Is this about the…you-know-what?''

Varrick's eyes bulged open. He glanced around the hallway as if trying to find something to distract them or turn their focus away from this subject. ''What? No, this is not about the you-know-what! What makes you think it's about the you-know-what?''

''You've become more overly-protective of me.''

''I'm an overly-protective guy!''

''More so than is necessary, and it's making me uncomfortable,'' She said glumly.

Noticing the tone in her voice and the way her body slump embarrassedly, Varrick felt a twinge of guilt stab him in the gut. He took a step closer, locking eyes with her.

Zhu-Li offered a warm if troubled smile. ''It's still early, you know that, right?''

''I know, I know,'' Varrick agreed. ''I just want to make sure we're taking all the safety precautions so that you can take it easy and not worry about over-working yourself. We both know that I may have…overtaxed you with duties before we got married.''

''And I do appreciate that, but like I said, it's still early. I'll have plenty of time to rest and take it easy at a later date. For now, I'm more than capable of carrying my weight around. Technically speaking, I'm already carrying more than my own weight around.'' Her hand grazed over her stomach, feeling the smallest of bumps, causing her heart to swell.

Seeing her like this, it caused Varrick's eyes to water and his bottom lip to quiver. For a man used to playing the game of acting and keeping his true emotions hidden, he couldn't ever stop himself from becoming a blubbering mess when he was reminded that he would become a dad soon. He smeared his wet face over his shoulder, wiping away the tears.

Zhu-Li saw this and couldn't stop herself from beaming. ''So, we're in agreement, you'll let me help you? Partner?''

Varrick cleared his throat. ''Right, I would, um…except…'' He tilted his head to the side, gesturing for Zhu-Li to look over his shoulders. ''We're already here.''

Right behind him, two large doors that led into the presidential office, currently sealed shut.

Zhu-Li smirked at Varrick. ''Very well, _next time_.''

''It's a done deal!'' Varrick spun around so that he was facing the entrance, acting as if nothing had happened. His swagger had returned as he strutted forward and peered over his shoulder to exchange a glance with Zhu-Li. ''Now, let's get these plans to President Raiko, I think we've kept him waiting long enough.''

Leaning back, he stamped his leg against the door as hard as he could, ready to make an entrance worthy of his name. However, it didn't go according to plan. The door remained tightly shut, shuddering a little upon contact. A few silent seconds rolled by before Varrick's head tilted downwards, hiding his face and the new tears that pricked his eyes. Unlike before, these weren't tears of joy.

''You have to pull the door open, sir,'' Zhu-Li commented.

A light whimper escaped him. ''Oh, that's not how it usually works…'' He said in a squeaky tone. She watched as he hopped backwards, his leg still hanging out and trembling. ''Zhu-Li, do the thing, please.''

Trying not to laugh at his expense, she walked forward, grabbed the gold-plated handles and pulled the doors open.

At the other end of the room, Raiko sat with his elbows on his desk and his chin resting on his cupped hands. Without a word, he looked up and beckoned the business partners forward. Thin, dark rings hung underneath his eyes and his chest heaved more noticeably with every breath. It wouldn't have been too outrageous to suggest he had been awake all night.

Varrick and Zhu-Li entered, with the eccentric genius hobbling forward and still clinging to all of his paperwork and equipment. The sounds of his erratic movements jangled throughout the room. Not the greatest of starts to their meeting, although, Raiko somewhat expected this when asking for Varrick.

They stood before the president, bowing respectfully, with Varrick almost losing his footing. ''Thank you for having us, President Raiko.'' Zhu-Li greeted politely.

''Thank you for coming on such short notice,'' Raiko responded. ''Part of me wondered if you could make it. Though, the moment I heard that racket at the door, I knew it was you.''

Unaware of the taunt buried in his words, Varrick smiled widely. ''Well, you know us. We like to let our company know of our arrival. You get some really rude individuals who just storm in and make a big show. Totally vulgar and ill mannered! Am I right, Zhu-Li?''

''Precisely, sir. At least you have the courtesy of…knocking.'' Zhu-Li commented coolly.

Raiko set his hands down on his desk, cupping them together. He kept a stern and professional look about him, even if he seemed uneasy and on edge. There was a guard posted at every window, blocking the incredible view of Republic City that stretched out over the horizon. To say he was taking safety measures seriously would be a severe understatement. ''I wouldn't have called you here if the situation wasn't momentous. After the attack by this terrorist, the people in Republic City are more terrified than they have ever been.''

''_More _terrified?'' Varrick questioned. ''I would have thought that things were hunky-dory before this Waterbender showed up.''

''That's what…_certain people_ will have you believe,'' Raiko grimaced, his gaze dropping to the floor as he spoke. ''Ever since that new spirit portal appeared in the middle of Republic City, the people have been bombarded with more and more spirits.''

''Yeah, that kind of happens when opening a spirit portal. You get spirits.'' Varrick replied factually.

''The point I am trying to make, is that a door had been made with no regard for the consequences, and now we've seen the consequences in full display.''

Zhu-Li stepped forward. ''With all due respect, Mister President, Korra couldn't have known what would happen when trying to stop Kuvira.''

''I'm not looking to pin the blame on Korra, at least not her actions. More so, it's her _reaction_ that has left me troubled,'' He muttered spitefully. Before he continued and said something that he knew he would regret, he paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The only response he had left on that matter of Korra was a deep exhale. He cleared his throat and looked up. ''Getting back on topic. If Shǔ can emerge from the portal and wreak havoc, then what's to stop more from doing the same? We have to find a way to keep things under control, or at least be more prepared for the worst-case scenario of a new attack.''

Varrick and Zhu-Li exchanged a quick glance at each other before turning to the jittery president. ''Well, you came to the right people,'' Varrick announced. ''We'll be the best fist, middle and last line of defence this city has ever seen. As long as we're not instructed to create any super weapons of mass destruction.''

Raiko shook his head. ''No, no weapons. We don't want to cause a panic or send the wrong message. We must remain strong, but not oppressive.''

''My words exactly!'' Varrick cried out and ended up dropping all of the equipment he held in his arms onto the ground. The loud clattered caused a few guards to jump in shock and lose their hearing for a brief moment. Raiko and Zhu-Li winced as Varrick fasted his bowtie. ''I needed to reshuffle our plans anyways. Zhu-Li, what do you think? Sorted alphabetically, or in terms of expense?''

* * *

Korra was beginning to feel short of breath. Her arm remained locked around Asami's waist as she leapt from tree to tree, not only trying to locate the largest branch to dash across but while at the same time keep a safe distance away from their target. Behind her, her friends used their Air bending to silently drift through the trees, gliding around the vines and trunks.

Shǔ rocketed across the surface of the swamp at blistering speeds. If Korra hadn't already encountered him, she would have just assumed he was moving so fast that he could run on water and not need any bending to assist him.

He was constantly on the move, darting in all directions and never slowing down. There were only a few occasions where he would stop and remain motionless for a few minutes each time. Whenever that happened, Korra and the others held their breath and stayed out of sight, shrouded behind thick layers of leaves. For them, it was like watching a predator on the hunt, especially when Shǔ slowly scanned his surroundings.

A part of Korra wanted to move around and catch a look under his black hood, but she knew that would only endanger the group. With so much water below them, Shǔ had the advantage. He had already proven himself a skilled bender. Even with Korra, Asami and a family of Airbenders, it would be a gruelling battle.

Once again, Shǔ sped down another pathway, further into the Swamp. Despite the incredible size of the marshland, Korra recognised this place like the back of her hand. ''I was right,'' She whispered to the group, who hovered onto the same branch she was on. ''He's heading for the Banyan-grove tree!''

''But why?'' Asami questioned. ''Unless he has a spiritual connection, it would be useless to him.''

''Perhaps,'' Tenzin chimed in. ''But, he could use the tree for other purposes. What it is exactly, I'm not too sure.''

Bumi shrugged his shoulders. ''Maybe he's not even after the tree. Maybe he's just lost?''

Tenzin furrowed his brows. ''Why would he come to the Swamp to get himself lost?''

Opal narrowed her eyes. ''What if he's not really after the tree? He might be luring us into a trap.''

''No way,'' Meelo waved his hand dismissively. ''He doesn't even know we're following him.''

''How would you know?'' Ikki probed.

Korra slowly shook her head. ''No, Meelo's right. If Shǔ knew we were following him, he would have attacked us. When I fought him, he was stubborn and refused to tell me anything about his plan. He wouldn't just lead us on like this. We're hidden, for now.''

Asami nods drearily. ''Then we just have to keep following him until we find what he's searching for.''

Opal gulped. ''Hopefully, Jinora and Kai.''

''Actually,'' Tenzin sighed. ''I'm hoping that's not the case.''

Korra's heart broke seeing Tenzin in such a distressed state. The longer they went on without finding them, the more anxious he would become. Having Shǔ one step ahead of them didn't help matters. Remembering Shǔ, Korra averted her gaze and started to summon a gust of wind around her and Asami. ''Come on, if we don't keep up we'll lose him.''

She took the lead, soaring onto another tree and following the ripples in the murky water below. The others wasted no time and were soon following behind. Their footsteps were light and delicate, brushing off the wet, slippery branches and moving onto the next one.

After a while, Korra had Shǔ in her sights, still bulleting forward. Somehow, his hood didn't falter in the wind. She groaned in frustration. The mystery of his identity was driving her mental. From his cryptic messages to his frightening water bending skills, and the fact that Korra couldn't seem to sense his spiritual energy at all, all these factors left her feeling worried. The path to finding a solution was unclear and Korra wasn't sure how she could sort this mess out.

Korra felt Asami's hand grip her shoulder. At first, she was afraid that her girlfriend was losing her balance trying to hold on. She peered over her shoulder to see her give Korra a soothing grin. Korra suspected that Asami felt her body stiffen as she drifted into her thoughts. She offered a reassuring smile back, letting Asami know that she was going to be okay.

Even if Asami wasn't convinced, she accepted it for now. They weren't in a position to have a conversation. But she knew that things would go much smoother once Shǔ was taking care of, and they had a better understanding of what Jinora was up to.

Suddenly, Asami's eyes widened and she stared into the distance. Korra had a feeling what that meant. She didn't bother to look as she stopped jumping and hid behind a branch. After taking a quick peek, she spotted Shǔ, who stood in the middle of a vast clearing. The only movement came from the ripples of the water beneath his feet. Just in the nick of time, the others noticed that the mysterious Waterbender had stopped and they froze, keeping as quiet and still as possible in the trees.

They waited, agonising, as he remained motionless. Korra figured that he was reminding himself of his surroundings before charting a new course that would take him closer to the tree. However, it was taking him much longer to move than before. Seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes drifted away like dust in the wind.

Asami leant in closer. ''What's he waiting for?''

''I don't know,'' Korra answered.

Bumi wiped his sweaty brow. ''Maybe he really _is_ lost?''

Next to him, Tenzin held his tongue, only so not to risk being heard by Shǔ.

Korra narrowed her eyes and refused to look away from her target. Her jaw clenched when she saw him finally move. It was hard to notice at first, but Shǔ began twisting his head, fraction by fraction. Was he looking where he needed to go next? No, this was different from before. Whereas before he would turn his whole body, this time, it was only his head that moved. He kept turning, slowly. Korra tensed. If she didn't know any better, she believed that Shǔ was about to look up at them.

The Avatar examined the branch they were standing on, finding nothing that stood out. Her eyes wandered over to the others, observing them one by one. They tried to suppress their heavy pants, no doubt exhausted from trying to keep up with Shǔ. That's when it suddenly hit her like lightning. Her heart stopped as she watched a single drop of sweat trickle down Bumi's face. The sweat drop may not be within touching distance, but it appeared to be enough water to alert the hooded figure.

Reacting quickly, Korra grabbed Asami's hand and forced herself out of her girlfriend's grasp, bolting in front of the group just as Shǔ struck.

After minutes of slow, unbearable movements, he sprung to life and lifted his arm in the group's direction, sending a geyser of water hurtling at them. The water froze at the tip, turning into jagged blades.

Korra leapt off the branch and twisted her body around to unleash a wave of fire. The elements clashed, causing a fiery explosion that sent sharp, shards of ice scattering everywhere. Everyone took cover behind a branch, just managing to avoid the flying blades, as Korra dive down into the swamp to engage Shǔ.

As she landed on one of the thick vines resting above the water, Shǔ summoned a giant wave towards her. Korra countered with a wave of her own. A giant collision between the tsunamis sent water bursting into the air, blowing away the leaves and branches above them. The wind threatened to knock everyone out from the trees. They merely pushed the shockwave aside, causing the trees around them to blow and flap vehemently. Standing behind the Airbenders for protection, Asami looked down to see Korra and Shǔ stare-off.

Water started to spray down on top of them as if they were in the middle of a torrential rainfall. Korra didn't flinch. She kept her fists clenched and dared not turn away from her opponent, even as thick leaves and broken branches fell all around them.

Shǔ cackled under his hood. ''You are persistent, Avatar. That much is certain.''

''I'm here to find out what you're after and why?'' She barked

''You still think you can get answers from me. This is above your wildest comprehension.''

Korra gritted her teeth. ''You're giving me the same riddles as before. If you're not going to talk now, then I'll just have to beat the answers out of you.''

''You still think you can defeat me?''

''Well, you're the one who ran away from our first fight!'' Korra taunted.

Despite mocking him, she remained deadly serious. She knew that this Waterbender was out for her blood, and she couldn't afford to go easy or drop her guard.

Another chuckle came from Shǔ. He slowly advanced towards her, walking on the water's surface as his laugh bellowed louder and louder. His arms reached outwards, extending his gloved, pointy fingers. The water twisted and lifted upwards, creating two swirling vortexes that wrapped around his arms like snakes. Once they were fully engulfed, they grew larger and larger, soon dwarfing his body and elevating him into the air.

He towered over Korra with his shadow looming as the Avatar remained straight-faced and steadied herself for a fight. Shǔ's giant watery arms stomped forward, taking a few strides before coming to a halt.

Finally, his echoing laughter ceased. ''You have no real power. You're a shell. A false prophet. You cannot defeat me, let alone stop what is about to come. How will you fair against the oncoming storm when you have mastered only four elements?''

At that moment, Korra hesitated slightly. ''What do you mean _only _four elements? There are only four! So the world can maintain balance and harmony with nature!''

Shǔ remained quiet for a moment. Korra couldn't tell what he was thinking as long as he remained cloaked under his hood. ''Thousands of years the Avatar has existed, and yet you have the naivety of a small child.''

Korra hardened her gaze. She knew by now that Shǔ wasn't going to give her the answers that she needed. Actually, he seemed to just be filling her head with more questions.

Before their fight could start, Korra sensed something moving behind her. Fearful of it being a sneak attack, she glanced around only to see Asami zipping down using one of the vines. The Airbenders soon joined her, floating down and taking a stance on the vine next to Korra. The Avatar couldn't stop a small smile from tugging on her lips. However, as grateful as she was to now have assistance in her fight, she now had the others to worry about as well.

Shǔ must have known this because without saying another word, he raised his arm and shot a powerful jet of water towards them all.

Korra grabbed Asami as everyone used the wind to kick upwards and avoid the attack. The vine they were standing on breaking into splinters.

As Korra glided to the next tree, Shǔ mustered another sprout of water to block their path. Using her free hand, Korra sliced through the water with powerful flames. The steam it created kept the hidden as they landed safely against the tree, both grabbing a loose vine to stop themselves from falling.

On the other side, Tenzin unleashed a flurry of strong wind blasts towards Shǔ. The Waterbender used his giant hands to weave his body around, avoiding the blasts no matter how rapidly Tenzin fired them. Shǔ launched himself forward towards the elder master, attempting to crush him. Luckily for Tenzin, he leapt high above Shǔ's ramming attack, just as he crashed into the thick vine.

Shǔ bolted upwards, hoping to follow Tenzin, but was caught off as Ikki and Meelo roundhouse-kicked simultaneously, aiming a powerful gust at their enemy. Shǔ ducked underneath and pressed his watery arms against the surface of the vine, freezing it in the blink of an eye. The ice slithered up the vine, almost catching the young teens before they jumped to safety.

Elsewhere, Korra turned to Asami. The heiress grabbed her trusty, electronic glove from inside her jacket and quickly put it on.

Korra didn't want this fight to drag on for too long, putting one of her friend's live at risk, so she decided to go all-out right from the start. She closed her eyes and pressed her knuckles. When she opened them, a blinding white light shone from her sockets.

In the middle of the battlefield, Meelo had fallen towards the water. He crouched his body during his descent, waving his hands underneath his feet. A small ball of wind whirled, churning faster and growing bigger. Meelo had created a ball of air half his size and rode that along the water's surface. Shǔ gave chase after the boy, commanding icy shards to sprout up and cut him down. Meelo raced around the swamp, skidding around trees and dodging all of Shǔ's attacks.

Realising long-range wasn't getting the job down, Shǔ used his arms to jump up and fall over Meelo. Tenzin looked on panicked, fearing that his son would be crushed.

As the gap closed, it looked hopeless for Meelo. He then sprang upwards, leaping over the unsuspecting Shǔ with a confident smirk on his face. Before he knew what hit him, Meelo's distraction had proved effective enough. Opal used his air ball to land close enough to get a running start and vault upwards. She spun her body and kicked out, sending two strong gusts of wind that hit Shǔ right in the stomach.

The Waterbender growled painfully, clearly caught by the sneak attack. But, this only stopped him momentarily. He twisted his body around and upwards. Opal tried to glide away, but she wasn't quick enough as Shǔ slammed his foot onto her head.

_**BAM!**_

Opal was sent plummeting into the water below, disappearing from sight.

Korra gasped. Her blood boiled and she soared towards Shǔ. He caught sight of her, watching as she summoned the elements to circle around her. Small chunks of stone and pebbles that lie nearby, the water from the swamp, the air around them and fire emitted from her thundering roar. The sight was impressive and would intimidate anyone. Shǔ didn't delay, lifting his giant arms out of the water and clapped together to crush Korra. The Avatar slapped her hands out, blocking his attacks and the two were caught in a standstill.

While he was kept at bay, Ikki and Meelo dived into the water, beginning their search for Opal.

The longer they wrestled, the angrier and more frustrated Korra became. Shǔ felt himself being pushed back despite his size advantage.

Tenzin and Bumi found a spot on a trunk right behind Shǔ and used this as the perfect opportunity to strike. They opened their palms and sent two tornados ploughing into Shǔ's back. The Waterbender stumbled forward, and Korra edged closer, she could practically reach out and grab him.

Before she could get her hands on him, Shǔ yelled furiously and the water around him exploded into the air, turning into more shards of ice. Korra floated backwards to avoid the razor-sharp icicles. Tenzin and Bumi jumped off the branch, looking back to see it tear it to ribbons. Seeing such a destructive force, Bumi let out a heavy sigh of relief.

With that taken care of, Shǔ tried to turn his attention back towards Korra, but something else caught his eye. Right beside him, he saw Asami racing towards the water's edge and punching her fist into it. Sparks of electricity surged along, heading right for him. Shǔ broke free of his watery hands, swinging himself over to a tree and avoiding the painful electrocution. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a pillar of water into the sky and aimed it at Asami. She sprinted in the other direction, leaping over a vine and taking cover behind a strong tree as the water thrust past, almost catching her leg.

Korra flew towards Shǔ, stomping on the tree beside him and threw consecutive rapid punches doused in fire at him. Shǔ dodged to the best of his ability before he jumped off the tree and back on the water's surface. His talon-like fingers carved in and he spun around, glaring at Korra like a wild animal. In her Avatar State, she could knock him down, however, he was proving too fast for Korra to land a solid hit.

Shǔ prepared to propel himself into the air and come after her. Korra held back, hoping to come up with a new strategy. The Waterbender shot upwards. Under the water, Korra spotted a shadow moving around. The shadow increased in size before splitting into three. Bursting out from the water were Meelo, Ikki and a conscious Opal. At the rate they were going, Shǔ had no time to move out of the way. The three of time aimed wind blasts and smacked him hard.

He was now careering towards Korra, who saw this as her moment. She dived forward, cupping her arms inward and when she was close enough, speared him with a mighty hurricane. Shǔ shot down, bouncing off the water's surface and skidding along. He smashed into a vine and tumbled onto a muddy patch of land. Korra could see that he wasn't as quick to get back up, clearly hurt and finding himself beaten. But, she knew that they couldn't let up, not when they had him on the ropes.

Using all her power, she sped towards him. The ground quaked and threatened to sink into the swamp as she flew over it. As she got closer, Shǔ pushed himself up and gathered whatever water was near. Droplets from the vines and trees circled around his body, shielding him. His arms moved like a blur as he prepared to attack.

He widened his stance. What he failed to notice was Tenzin and Bumi gliding from both sides and kicking a wave of wind, hitting him on both his arms and breaking his protective shield. Not letting up, Asami jumped over a vine and punched her fist into the ground, electrical waves zapping the wet surface and towards Shǔ. A deafening scream hollered from the Waterbender once the surge hit. His body jolted violently and he was left with no way to defend himself.

Korra landed on the ground right in front of Shǔ, shaking everything around her. Waving her arms forward, a tidal wave of mud and stones crashed into Shǔ, covering him and knocking him back against a thick oak tree. The sound of the crash echoed all throughout the Swamp and the ground under the Avatar broke open. Korra knew that was it, no human could take that level of punishment, even someone as strong as Shǔ.

She stepped forward before the mud had even hit the floor, hoping to grab him this time. However, as she got closer, she noticed something was off, both figuratively and literally. The mud fell sporadically meaning she couldn't properly see him. Time seemed to crawl. The first thing she noticed was he was standing back up, his hands waved upwards to keep the fight going. That's when she saw it…his hood had come off. She pushed the mud out of the way, hoping to see Shǔ's face…and it was a face she would not be forgetting anytime soon.

The others also were taken back by what they saw, wide-eyed and standing with jaws dropped to the ground.

A thick layer of black fur runs down his elongated nose with white and grey whiskers protruded on either side. Two serrated teeth dripping behind a sinister smile. And Korra's pure white eyes found themselves staring into black, soulless ones. Shǔ's face was not a human face. It was the face of a rat.

''You're…a spirit?'' Korra gasped.

Without a word, Shǔ extended his arm. Water from the swamp washed over his hand and up along his arm before freezing solid. His fingers scrunched and the tips sharpened.

''Korra!'' Tenzin cried out frenziedly.

Korra noticed what Shǔ was doing and jumped away whilst reverting out of the Avatar State.

_**SLASH!**_

She grunted in pain and slid across the ground, her heels digging into the mud. A sharp bolt of pain in her abdomen caused her to collapse to her knee as everyone was left powerless to do anything. Korra bit her lip, hissing loudly. When she looked down, she cupped her hand over her new scars and pulled back, unnerved to see the palm red with blood.

As she glanced back up, Shǔ bared his teeth and charged at her.

**To Be Continued…**

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_If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them._


	6. Dawn of the Unknown Part II

**Legend of Korra: Life**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights and characters to the Avatar Last Airbender &amp; Legend of Korra Franchise, they are owned by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I only own my OC characters.

If you enjoyed this story and want to know more about my work, you can like the Rurrlock-God of Power Facebook page.

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**Chapter 6: Dawn of the Unknown Part II**

Mako kept his glare focused on the floor, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as he tried to sit patiently. The session with the doctor that Chief Beifong had recommended seemed to be going as smoothly as expected. Yet, he couldn't stop the sense of worry from boiling up inside.

The longer the wait dragged on, the harder it became for him to not turn his gaze down to his arm, covered with dozens of acupuncture needles. Despite his limb slightly trembling, he didn't feel any pain of any kind, only a slight tingle that rolled up his body. He released a shaky breath as he stared at the scarred tissue.

From the corner of the office, the doctor finished jotting down observations on his notepad and turned to the clock hanging on the wall. ''Right, that should be it for now.''

Mako merely nodded. He remained as still as possible as the doctor carefully pulled out the needles from his skin, one at a time. Afterwards, he would gently dab a cloth over each of the incisions. A gel-like substance rubbed against Mako's skin, causing a chill to crawl up his spine because of the cool sensation. The moment the doctor removed the last needle and brushed the cloth over the scar, Mako cleared his throat, unable to stay quiet for any longer. ''So, Doctor Juhong?''

''One moment please,'' He responded firmly but politely, with a hushed tone.

Mako held his tongue and shifted in his seat awkwardly. He could tell there was a bit of bite to the doctor's word, even if his words were no louder than a grumbling whisper.

After another minute of waiting, Doctor Juhong rose to his feet, discarded the cloth in a steaming pot of water nearby. ''I never like to talk and work at the same time,'' He picked up his notebook and jotted down some observations. His eyes remained locked with his writing as he raised his voice slightly. ''How long did you say you had a Waterbender treat you for?''

''It was about six months,'' Mako replied quickly.

''And that was immediately after you sustained the injury?''

Mako nodded. ''Yeah, right after the attack on Republic City, Master Katara helped to heal it.''

The stern doctor didn't say anything immediately afterwards, allowing himself a moment for his writing to catch up. ''Did you experience any pain during that time?''

''In those first few weeks! But after a while, the pain stopped.''

''Could you fire bend during that time?''

Now, it was Mako who was the one that stalled before he uttered another word. He had an answer, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. It was only when the doctor turned and glared at him that he finally answered. ''No, I couldn't.''

Doctor Juhong said nothing. Instead, after finishing with his lost few notes he sat down in his chair. He rubbed his bearded chin and appeared to be deep in thought. Mako could see the professional's eyes race from left to right, reading over all the paperwork and his own notes. ''How often do you have a medical check-up?''

''At the turn of every season. So, roughly four times a year.''

''I suppose that's basic physical and mental examinations?'' He rasped out, feeling frustrated that he didn't seem to be getting a straight answer. Mako wanted to ask what was happening, but thought better of it and stopped at the last second.

Either oblivious to the officer's harsh tone, or electing to ignore it, the doctor turned in his chair so that he was facing Mako. ''Other than the scarring of the tissue, which I should point out would have been far worse had a medical legend like Katara not healed you, your hand should have fully healed by now.''

Mako creased his brow. ''Then, what's the problem?''

''There might have been more internal damage than we realised. Think of it like the nerves in your hand suffering a seizure of their own accord. There seems to be a blockage preventing your chi from flowing through your body into that particular area._ That's_ where you're having difficulty with your fire bending.''

''I thought Katara healed the damage?'' Mako inquired, unable to suppress the bleakness in his voice.

''She did. According to the medical files I received upon your first check-ups, your hand _was_ healing fine. The internal bleeding had stopped and the burns on your skin ceased. Unfortunately, the nerve damage might be something that can't be fixed, at least, not forever. Ultimately the pressure is going to give, no matter how many times you try to fix it.''

All of a sudden, Mako felt breathless as he let the doctor's words sink in. He instinctively cupped his scarred arm, feeling it shake. He couldn't begin to think of what to ask next, as he feared that it would lead him to answer grimmer than the last. ''So, what? Are you saying I won't be able to fire bend with this arm again?''

''The way this is going, that might be the best case scenario.''

It felt like something snapped inside Mako after hearing the doctor's frank answer, and his body went numb. Perhaps he would have rather than he didn't receive a straight answer.

Before long, Juhong continued. ''That being said, if we could recommend you to a specialist, they might be able to do something themselves. Which shouldn't be too hard considering you seem to have friends in high places. Obviously, your arm won't be as good as before, but at least we won't have to cut it off.''

Mako's face paled like a ghost. ''Cut it off?''

''That's the worse case scenario,'' He responded, forcing an unsteady smile to reassure his patient. ''That'll only happen if you're stupid and don't have a qualified professional look it over.''

''Isn't that a bit…extreme.''

''That's why it's a worse case scenario. The nerve damage could spread to the rest of your body. If that happens, fire bending again will be the last thing on your mind.''

The solemn moment ended abruptly as Mako stood up, staring at the doctor with fire and determination in his eyes. ''It won't come to that.''

Amused, Doctor Juhong threw him a smirk. ''Acting all tough and macho isn't going to make things better.''

''I know,'' Mako said resolutely. ''But I have a duty to this city, to my friends and to the Chief. I can't let them down. I'm thankful for your help, and I will try to get someone to look at my arm for me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to kick up my feet and hide under a rock while a potential terrorist is loose.''

The doctor rolled his eyes and stretched his arms out over his head. ''Well, nice to know that you aren't fully stubborn, only half,'' He then scoffed and rose to his feet. ''You're definitely one of Beifong's.''

''I can't tell if you meant that as a compliment or not,'' Mako stated.

This time, the doctor let out a genuine laugh before patting Mako on the shoulder and walking over to his desk. ''I'm looking forward to seeing you next week. I'll be making some calls to see if we can find someone to help you out.''

Believing that his time was up, Mako walked towards the door. However, before he left, he stopped and slowly turned back to the doctor one more time. ''Do you think my arm will get better?''

Immediately, Doctor Juhong called out over his shoulder. ''I like to think that as long as there's a nice best case scenario, there's always hope.''

Despite the sincerity in his words, Mako couldn't shake off this gut-wrenching feeling of doubt. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and left the medical office in silence.

Once he was outside, he was instantly hit by the reflective light glinting off the water's surface on a pond nearby. He attempted to shield his eyes with his arm, and before he realised it, a sudden jolt throbbed along the limb, causing him to wince and halt in his tracks. This action earned him a few curious looks from strangers walking down the streets.

He groaned in dismay and waited a moment for the pain to pass. It seemed to be getting worse by the day, and his attempt to help catch Shǔ didn't help matters.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a loud clattering noise coming from down the street. He turned and gaze onwards, interested by what he was seeing. A fruit stand had been clattered and smashed to the ground, with the merchant flapping his hands around in a manic fashion. ''Thief! She stole my fruit!'' He screamed repeatedly.

That's when Mako noticed someone running from the scene. An individual wearing a tight hood over their head and scarf wrapped around the lower half of their face dashed in the opposite direction before turning the corner.

At first, Mako wasn't sure what to do. For a split second, he hesitated in running after the apparent thief. The last thing he needed was to get into a scuffle after a doctor's appointment that warned him about his arm and his lack of fire bending. However, this brief moment didn't last, as he looked down the street and realised that there was a path he could use to cut the thief off.

Wasting no time, he sprinted down the road and hoped that his hunch was right. He knew these streets like the back of his hand, and he figured that if this thief were looking to escape, he would know where he could cut them off.

He ignored the pedestrians glaring at him and the hooting of the vehicles that threatened to run him over, keeping his calm as he dived into one of the alleyways. Leaping over the rubbish, debris and sleeping homeless people that littered the ground, he prayed that he was gaining ground on the thief. The hot sun above beat down on him, causing a thin layer of sweat to build up across his face.

After a while, he reached a slope that led onto another street below, and from there, he could see the same hooded thief running from the other direction. Without thinking his actions through, Mako gripped his hand on a metal bar and hoisted himself over it. A sharp pain shot through his arm and up his body, causing him to stumble and land on the ground below in a heap.

He grunted and mumbled incoherently. That was all he needed, another trip back to the doctors after only just leaving. While he was slow to get up, he turned towards the thief, who watched on with creased brows. Though her face was hidden, Mako could tell that the thief was a woman. ''Stop right there!'' He groaned.

The thief scoffed. ''Or what? You'll fall on me?''

''That was…I meant to do that,'' Mako retorted. ''To cut you off.''

''I'm not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for you. Are you new on the police force or something?'' She wasn't afraid to take a step closer, even when Mako stood up and confronted her. She shrugged her shoulders. ''Anyway, it doesn't matter. Move!''

''I can't do that, I'm afraid.'' He replied sternly.

Frustrated evident in her voice and manner, she tucked her hand into her jacket, causing Mako to keep his guard up fearful of what she had planned. ''Look, I didn't take much. Just enough to get me by for the day!'' She held her hand out, revealing two apples and a banana.

A feeling of pity gripped Mako for the woman. He stared into her eyes, taking note of her navy blue pupils and brown skin, dirtied by soot. There were a few tears to her makeshift jacket, and her scarf looked poorly stitched together, only just managing to keep her face covered. Keeping his guard up, he slowly approached her. ''I understand where you're coming from…''

''Don't give me that!'' She spat.

Mako pouted, feeling offended at being interrupted so harshly, and so decided to take this conversation in another route. ''I'm trying to be polite.''

''Oh, is that why you feel at my feet? You wanted me to walk over you so that I wouldn't get my shoes dirty.''

He glanced down at her shoes. Dirty, worn-out, with a single toe sticking out from a small hole. ''I think it's too late for that.'' He commented.

The thief's eyes bulged out of their sockets, and she hunched her body forward. ''_That_ was being polite?'' She hissed.

Realising that he wasn't getting anywhere, Mako stayed silent for a moment to ease the tension. ''Even if I could let you off for the thievery, there's still the issue of you damaging that man's stand back there. That's his livelihood…''

''At least he has one,'' She mumbled, turning her head to the side in the hopes that Mako might not hear her. Judging by his reaction, a sympathetic look plastered over his face, he had. Wanting him out of the way, she reached into her jacket again, this time, pulling out a bottle of water. ''You know what? I've been really rude. How about a drink?'' She said playfully with a hint of venom in her tone before tossing the bottle towards Mako.

Unsure of what was about to happen, Mako's mind worked into overdrive, considering the many outcomes that could occur if he played along and caught the bottle. He quickly looked back and forth between the bottle and the thief, noticing her raise her arm. That's when he knew what she was about to do. He dived to the side, just as the thief jerked her arm forward and the water sprayed out of the bottle like a rocket.

Luckily, Mako avoided the surprise attack, the water landing harmlessly on the ground where he stood a moment ago. He glanced back up, seeing the thief making a run for it. Hoping to cut her off, Mako used his good hand to create a wall of fire in front of her.

Instantly, she stopped, surprised by the fiery blockade before her. She only had enough time to see Mako charge at her with his fist raised.

_**BAM! **_

With a hard hook, he slammed her into the wall and she collapsed unconsciously. Her scarf rolled down her face, revealing her face to Mako. He would have taken notice of her beauty had he not had something else troubling him, namely the throbbing pain in his hand after he had punched her.

''Why did I do that?'' He grumbled, rubbing his scarred hand tenderly.

* * *

Korra had no time to react as Shǔ lunged at her, wounded and distracted by her bleeding stomach. Just when it seemed like the spirit would sink his jagged teeth into her flesh, he was blown away by a mighty gust of wind created by the Airbenders standing behind the Avatar.

Even when Shǔ's back was slammed back into the tree, breaking off chunks of bark, he couldn't move as Tenzin and the others unleashed a typhoon against the spirit. While they kept him at bay, Asami rushed forward, hooked Korra's arm over her shoulder and helped her away from the battle. Once they were out of harm's way, the Airbenders stepped forward, summoning stronger winds. Shǔ desperately tried to force himself free but to no avail.

Asami guided Korra towards a safe spot by a thick vine, although, with the ferocity of the fight going on close by, there really wasn't a safe spot anywhere in this swamp.

''Just hold still!'' Asami gasped and set Korra down to rest. She quickly ripped off a piece of fabric from her sleeve and pressed it over Korra's bleeding scars, causing her to grit her teeth and fight back tears.

Desperate to stand, Korra raised her head and panted heavily. ''I have to help…''

Raising her hand and blocking her path, Asami glared at her intensely. ''You can't! Not like this!''

Korra wanted to argue, but instead of words, all that passed her lips were grunts and howls of pain. Her knees buckled underneath her and she slid down to the ground, with Asami never letting go and always keeping her hand over Korra's wound. Korra's eyes shut tightly and for a moment all she could see was a dominating, blinding white light.

''Korra, you stay back!'' Tenzin shouted. ''We'll handle Shǔ!''

The furious winds grew stronger and whirl around the area. It was a miracle that the tremendous force hadn't crushed Shǔ. Then again, now Korra knew that he wasn't human. One mystery had been solved, but now it opened up a completely new one. However, that would be something to worry about for later.

Shǔ bellowed loudly, trapped by the Airbender's persistent attack. They wouldn't let up until they knew that their enemy was down for the count.

He kneeled down as low as he could before sinking his icy claws into the bark of the tree trunk behind him. The root slowly started to freeze over, reaching up high towards the branches and vines. Even the ground beneath his feet turned frosty as everyone felt the cold piece their skin. The wind that the Airbenders were generating was only making things worse, but they couldn't allow Shǔ any way to escape.

Feeling helpless, Korra could only watch from the sides as Shǔ scraped his hands against the frozen tree. Ice and bark were torn apart and a horrifying rumble echoed around the area. She glanced upwards and saw the tree slowly begin to move and fall in her friend's directions. Another sharp pain crawling up to her chest prevented her from screaming out their names.

Tenzin tore his eyes away from Shǔ and noticed the tree towering over them begin to fall. ''Everyone, move!'' He called out.

Korra and Asami felt every daunting second, as the tree plunged with increasing speed. The others glanced up, noticing the tree about to crush them. Each of them used their air bending skills to glide out of harm's way, and this moment of relief was all that was needed to give Shǔ a chance to jump away.

The ground shook and almost broke apart completely as the large trunk crashed into the earth. Waves erupted out of the swamp. Korra spread her arms and created a protective barrier of mud and stone to stop them from being engulfed by the tsunami. She ignored the disorienting pain lancing through her body, refusing to stop until things had quietened down.

She crumbled to the ground, resting on her hands and knees as Asami held her comfortingly. ''Are you okay?'' Korra asked.

''Don't worry about me, _you're_ the one who needs help.'' She replied harshly, doing everything in her power to stop the bleeding.

Korra shifted her gaze over to the fallen tree. Frozen leaves drifted from the sky and littered the ground around them. Her eyes scanned every direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of the others. With every passing second that she didn't see any of her friends, the more panicked she became. ''Worry about me later! We have to find the others. They might be hurt.'' She felt a sickening lurch in her stomach as she tried to stand, exhaling with a loud grunt and forced to sit with her back against a vine. Her body convulsed with every rough breath.

It pained Asami to see Korra in so much pain. She looked over her shoulder, hoping to see the others. However, something else caught her eyes and made her gasp.

Standing on the collapsed tree, Shǔ cackled and snarled.

Fear gripped her heart like a vice. The terror she felt, that threatened to cause her courage to stall, was pushed to the side as she took a step forward, guarding the injured Avatar. She held out her gloved hand, electrical sparks surging between her fingers, signalling to her opponent that she wouldn't back down and was ready for a fight. ''I don't care if you are a spirit, I won't let you hurt Korra!''

Eagerly and without a word, Shǔ leapt off the tree, towards Asami. She jabbed her arm forward, hoping to strike the spirit before he could land on the ground. She could barely react, as Shǔ rolled his body and a thin tail sprouted from his cloak, wrapping itself around Asami's arm. She was yanked forward, knocked off balance and defenceless as the spirit clenched his icy claws and stabbed them towards her gut.

Asami was almost knocked off her feet completely when she felt an immense force from behind. She turned around to see Korra, back in her Avatar State, intercepting Shǔ's claw and slowly crushing it in the palm of her hand.

''Don't ever threaten her!'' Korra roared. As stone and debris danced around her muscular body, a raging fire split out of her mouth and almost overwhelmed the spirit.

At the last second, Shǔ retracted his tail from Asami's arm and he pulled his own arm free from Korra's firm grasp, causing ice shards to shatter everywhere. He jumped back a good distance, far enough to avoid Korra's inferno. Keeping his body low to the ground, his fingers dug into the surface of the ground, freezing it to a small capacity. Another wild chuckle hollered from Shǔ. ''You may be naive, Avatar! But you are relentless, I'll give you that.''

Korra tried to keep a strong stance, but her bloody stomach screamed in protest. Staying in her Avatar State only meant that the aching worsened, and her body weight seemed to grow to unbearable levels. No longer strong enough to carry on in this condition, Korra retreated into her mind and exhaled calmly. The glowing white in her eyes disappeared.

She was afraid that she would fall until Asami grabbed her once more and kept her standing. They exchanged a quick glance, Korra offering a grin and she felt her strength returned when seeing Asami's own glowing smile. They returned their gaze to Shǔ, as he stood as tall as he could.

''What do you want from us?'' Asami questioned.

Shǔ laughed once again. ''You humans are a slow bunch. Surely you have to know by now that I won't spill my secrets.''

Sick of listening to his cryptic voice, Korra growled irritably. ''Where did you learn to water bend? You're a spirit! You shouldn't be able to do that.''

''There is so much about spirits and bending you don't know. You cannot comprehend what I am capable of.''

Korra stared at him with increasing anger and anxiousness. ''We know what you're after. Why are you looking for Jinora? What did she do to you?''

Although he remained silent, his lips sealed and his sinister grin shrank. Something about what Korra asked had struck a cord, and she figured that that was the best answer she would get out of him for now.

He lifted his arm and held it out. Water from the swamp towered above and swirled in the air, giving Korra and Asami a frightening glimpse of the scale of Shǔ's next attack. Giving them a sinister grin, he beckoned for the large jet of water to come to him.

Out of nowhere, Meelo cut the water apart with his leg, the wind blowing it away. ''Not this time!''

Angered by the surprise attack, Shǔ used the water drops that splashed away and had them coat his fingers, creating icy claws. He charged towards Meelo, ready to strike.

Meelo didn't back away. Instead, he lowered his body, as the spirit got closer. Just when Korra and Asami feared he would be struck down, Ikki emerged from above. She landed with her hands on his back and kicked out, hitting Shǔ in the stomach and sent him hurtling into the distance. Before he could stop himself, Bumi appeared from behind a tree and tilted his body backwards. Using his legs, he generated a spiral of wind and booted Shǔ up into the air. ''Alley-oop!'' Bumi yelled.

Shǔ grunted in pain. He threw the team below an enraged look and widened his body, ready to plan a counter attack. A shadow that passed in the background caught his attention. He twisted his body and was now facing Tenzin. The elder Airbending master glided towards the spirit with amazing speed, carrying himself in the wind. Shǔ crossed his arms over his chest and bared his claws.

He was so preoccupied with Tenzin that he failed to notice Opal sneakily approach from behind. She grabbed his tail, holding it tightly. Shǔ cried out and turned to Opal. A bruise had begun taking shape on her forehead. Unafraid of the hostile spirit scowling at her, Opal spun her body around before tossing Shǔ towards the ground.

Not wanting to give him time to recover, Tenzin propelled himself towards Shǔ, reaching him in a split second. Shǔ slashed out at Tenzin, but the Airbender ducked underneath his claw and pressed his hands against the spirit's chest. The wind was knocked out of Shǔ, literally. A hard force of air pushed into him and sent him plummeting to the ground.

Everyone gathered round, circling the crater and watching Shǔ try to get back up. The spirit's arms shuddered, coughing hard as he forced himself up onto his knees.

Feeling confident that their foe was defeated, Meelo beat his chest proudly. ''Not so tough now, are you? That's what you get for trying to mess with us!''

Korra, helped by Asami, took a few steps forward until she was the closest one to Shǔ, looking down at him. He raised his head to lock eyes with her. Even with defeat inevitable, his slimy smile never faltered. In fact, he appeared quite satisfied by what had happened. Feeling uneasy with his entertained posture, Korra kept one arm wrapped around Asami's waist, ready for something to happen.

Shǔ stopped panting to speak. ''I may have underestimated your capabilities, Avatar.''

She narrowed her eyes. ''Don't think about fighting back. This doesn't have to be any more difficult.''

He rolled his head back and let out a bellying laugh. The group flinched, still overcome with disbelief at the appearance of their enemy. ''You are in no position to give demands. Soon, you will either be our slave, or dead and buried in the earth, long forgotten.''

Korra squinted. ''_Our?_''

Shǔ sharply turned towards the swamp. Ikki and Opal stood in his path. Beneath their feet, the ice that had been created by his steps a moment ago started to grow. The two young women glanced down and saw the ice almost touch them. Instinctively, they leapt away, however, this gave Shǔ a clearing to leap forwards and dive into the murky waters, disappearing from sight.

Hoping that he could keep up, Tenzin jumped after the spirit, creating a tornado beneath his feet and using that to push the swamp water aside. The other Airbenders were quick to make a tornado to keep the water away and make a tunnel for Tenzin to dive into. However, it was a fruitless gesture, as Shǔ was nowhere to be found, already long gone.

He emerged from the air tunnel and landed on the ground next to the others. They ceased with their movements, and once the air stopping twirling, the water collapsed and returned to normal. ''He's gone.'' Tenzin sighed dejectedly.

Opal shook her head. ''I'm so sorry. If I didn't move, we would have…''

Ikki quickly stopped her. ''Don't blame yourself. We'll get him next time.''

Although Opal forced a smile, in the back of her mind, she couldn't stop the guilt from swarming over her like a fungus. She then made a strangled sound and rubbed her throbbing head, recoiling the moment her hand came closer to touching her bruise. She noticed the other's concerned expressions and waved her other hand. ''I'm fine. I'm fine.''

''But Korra's not,'' Asami murmured from behind.

Everyone turned and gathered around Korra, who continued to writhe and moan loudly as her girlfriend held her tightly. Sweat poured from her face, and she looked down weakly towards her stomach.

As Asami kept her hand over the still bleeding scars, she could feel Korra's body shake in her arms. ''We need to get her back to Republic City.''

Korra finally lifted her head. ''What about Shǔ? We can't let him get away!''

It was hard for her to get anyone on her side, as she appeared to almost pass out on the spot, slumping against Asami's body and her eyes rolled in the back of her head before she regained composure. Tenzin stepped closer. ''He'll have to be a concern for another day. Asami's right. We need to get you and Opal back to Republic City, right away!''

Ikki and Meelo rushed over to assist them. ''Let us help.''

Knowing that she was on the losing side of the debate, though for once, it was one she wouldn't mind losing, Korra lifted her other arm and allowed the siblings to help keep her upright.

Korra allowed her friends to help her take the weight off her feet. While her stomach felt warm, the rest of her body shook in the cold and she could practically see her cool breath. Even though Shǔ was out of sight, his presence could still be felt. As the others helped carry her, Korra refused to release another sound of pain and didn't allow her body to grow limp. Her eyes looked out over the horizon, in the direction that Shǔ may have run off to, away from the banyan-grove tree.

They may have proven that they could defeat him, but with his identity revealed, they still felt more lost than ever before.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

_If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them._


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